


You're Adopted

by lossit_bay



Series: Bang Chan's Clan [1]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Cuddles, Jisung protection squad, M/M, Magic, Minho POV, OT9 - Freeform, Urban Fantasy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2019-11-05 04:08:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 27,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17911721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lossit_bay/pseuds/lossit_bay
Summary: Minho didn't realise he had been adopted by Bang Chan until it was too late. Apparently, this was pretty common.By the time he realised he couldn't even run away. That was the witch's fault but Minho couldn't be angry at him for it. In fact he  kind of wanted to kiss him.





	1. In the dead of night

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, this is a fantasy fic I'm working on. I'm planning to make this maybe about 10 chapters and if that all goes well I might make a series.

Minho didn't realise he had been adopted by Bang Chan until it was too late. Apparently, this was pretty common.

It’s not like he needed adopting anyway. He was 187 for Terra’s sake, plenty old enough to look after himself. Yes, he’d been in the city for years now and it was slowly rotting his soul but that was his choice, he could go home any time he wanted to.

Minho first met Chan at a 24 hour cafe in the dead of night. He had been working late, using his natural strength and grace to get by as a backup dancer for some human idol group. Well, they were advertised as human at least. 

Chan was sitting at a table, surrounded by papers and empty mugs, hair in disarray. Minho thought he looked a bit deranged typing furiously on his laptop and flipping through stacks of notes looking for information. One page made a bid for freedom as Minho walked past so he picked it up and handed it back to the harried boy with a warm smile. Chan took it, not quite meeting his gaze and muttered a quiet thank you. 

Minho had made it 5 steps towards his table before the words sunk in. He spun back around and slammed his hand down on the table next to Chan’s current mug of coffee.  
“How did you know what I was?” he demanded.  
“Huh?” Chan said, finally looking Minho in the eyes.  
“You thanked me in elvish,” Minho hissed.  
“Oh. Sorry?” Chan said. “Are you not? You just smelled like an elf and I thought it would be polite.”  
Minho rolled his eyes and pulled up a seat next to Chan. “I am an elf,” he said. “But how did you know elvish. You’re certainly not one with a nose like that.”  
Chan pouted and rubbed his nose self-consciously. “I’m a vamp. I learnt elvish from an old friend of mine so we could gossip in class.” He paused and stared into his cup as if the memories pained him. “I’ll not use it again since it offended you so much.”  
“No!” Minho shouted, turning he heads of the weary employees. “No,” he said quieter. “Please, nobody’s spoken elvish to me in years.”  
In hindsight, Minho realised that that early morning vulnerable confession was the moment Bang Chan decided to adopt him.

Chan stayed in the cafe all night, working tirelessly and ordering mug after mug of hot chocolate. When Minho questioned why he didn’t buy coffee Chan shrugged and said he didn’t need the caffeine. Minho should have left almost as soon as he arrived. He’d has a long grueling day and there was another ahead of him but he couldn’t stomach the thought of leaving Chan, the tiny glimmer of home in his mumbled accented elvish.

Just after dawn a trio of school kids burst through the doors, far too happy for that time in the morning. A girl broke off as they entered and barreled towards Chan.  
“Hyung!!” she cried, jumping into Chan’s waiting arms.  
Surely it should have been ‘oppa’ Minho thought.  
“Morning, Innie,” Chan smiled the first real smile Minho had seen from him. “I like your hair.”  
“I’ve been practicing,” the girl said proudly. She screwed up her eyes in concentration and Minho watched in awe as her blonde hair took on a pinkish hue. “See!” the girl said excitedly, holding one of her pigtails out to Chan. “I got it right down to the ends.”

The other school kids joined them and the taller of the two boys handed the girl a drink that seemed to be mostly cream.  
“Hi, Hyung,” the other said. “Who’s your friend?”  
Chan jumped as he realised Minho was still sitting next to him. “Boys, this is Minho. He’s an elf.”  
Minho frowned. Your species wasn’t exactly something you just told strangers on the street. But he supposed Chan wasn’t really a stranger anymore and these kids seemed like family to him. Perhaps they were part of his clan.

“Minho, this is Seungmin, an imp, Hyunjin, a mer and Jeongin, a shifter,” Chan gestured to the boys in turn. Then again, perhaps they weren’t part of his clan.  
Hyunjin smiled. “It’s nice to meet you Hyung. I’ve never meet an elf before.”  
“Says the merman in the middle of the city,” Minho replied.  
“I was born in the Han river,” Hyunjin told him, still smiling. 

Minho couldn’t help but pull a disgusted face. The city river was clogged with pollution. He couldn’t imagine even touching that water, let alone living in it.  
Seungmin laughed. “Yeah, he’s a gross sewer boy,” he teased his friend. “We didn’t even realise he was this pretty until he’d been living with us a few weeks and finally washed off all the dirt.”  
Hyunjin gasped. “You think I’m pretty, Minnie?”  
Chan snorted. “Literally everyone thinks you’re pretty, Jinnie.”  
“Do you think I’m pretty, Minho-hyung?” Hyunjin asked. “I heard all elves are like super pretty.”  
MInho pretended to scrutinise the boy but in all honesty even by elf standards Hyunjin’s delicate features were impressive. “I guess you’re ok,” Minho allowed.

Chan shooed the kids off to school once they were finished with their drinks.  
“Innie-yah! Remember and change back before class!!” he called out as they left.  
“You really shouldn’t yell stuff like that around so many humans,” Minho said glancing around the cafe for anybody that might have found the comment odd.  
“It’s fine,” Chan said. “Humans tend to presume its a joke or a game and nobody likes butting into other people’s business in the city. They’d rather stare blanking through your face and pretend they can’t see you.” He lifted his mug and drained the last dregs before pooling all his papers together. “Anyways, it’s not like I said ‘Jeongin remember to shift back into your birth form before school so you don’t get marked as absent.’”

“Has that happened?” Minho asked, curious.  
“More than once,” Chan sighed. “He’s lucky we have a witch who can erase memories.”  
_By Terra, how many mystics did this man know?_ In five years of living in Seoul Minho had only met a fae and and a very grumpy sewer goblin.

“I should go now, while the smog is still blocking the sun,” Chan said apologetically. “If you want to chat again I'm here a lot and my friends run a shop down by the river 3RACHA, they can pass on a message if I'm not there myself.”  
“Sure,” Minho said casually, not wanting to sound too desperate for this stranger's company. “It was nice to meet you.”  
Chan waved at him once more from the door before being swept away by the morning rush. Minho checked the time and sighed. He just had time to go home and shower before he had to be back at work again.


	2. Chocolate makes it better

At the weekend Minho normally practiced alone in the studio, trying to kindle his dying love for the craft with making choreography to songs he loved. That Saturday his heart wasn't in it. The windowless room felt claustrophobic and stuffy. He blamed Chan for making him sentimental.

Grumbling curses under his breath he threw his water bottle into his bag and jogged out the building. He was halfway towards the river when he realised where he was headed. A man bumped into him as he suddenly stopped.  
“Watch where you're going, idiot!” he called, shoving Minho roughly towards the buildings.  
“Don't be fucking rude,” Minho yelled back but ducked under the awnings of a house all the same.

“You're pathetic,” he muttered to himself as he took out his phone and typed '3RACHA, Seoul’ into the search bar. To his surprise a website popped up, claiming the shop sold jewellery and precious gems. It wasn't exactly what Minho had expected from Chan's friends but then again who knew what other mystics Chan knew. Minho wouldn't put it past the boy to befriend a dragon. 

3RACHA was a much odder shop in person than the website suggested. It was sandwiched between a laundromat and a takeout shop, with the black door painted with a giant red outline of a chicken. The creaking sign didn't even claim it to be a jewellers, only having another chicken outline and the word 3RACHA. Minho peered in the window to check he hadn't accidentally ended up at a chicken joint. 

A boy with wide eyes and orange hair grinned back at him. Minho stumbled back in surprise, and fell to the ground as he tripped on the curb. The boy sat up and pressed his head against the glass, mouthing “are you ok?”  
A different boy ran out of the door seconds later and helped him up before he could reply. When the boy pushed his blue hair away from his face Minho glimpsed that his ear was full of piercings and the hand that helped him up was covered in rings. Perhaps this was the right shop after all.  
“I'm sorry about Felix,” the new boy rambled, dusting off Minho's coat. “We keep telling him not to study in the window but he likes to people watch.”  
“It's ok,” Minho said, though it really wasn't. His ankle was throbbing and Minho really couldn't afford to be off work right now. Minho took a tentative step and his leg crumpled beneath him. He grabbed onto the boy for support before he fell again and bit his lip to stop the pitiful whine escaping his mouth.  
“Frogskin, you're really hurt,” the boy exclaimed and wrapped Minho's arm around his shoulder, slipping his own arm around Minho's waist. “Come into the shop and I'll fix you up.”

The inside of the shop was mesmerising. Rickety wooden shelves lined every wall filled with bottles and books and boxes of feathers of every colour. There were jewels too, not displayed in a case but hung on silver wires to catch the light and split it across the room in muted reds and blues and greens. A large scarred table took up the middle of the shop and a heavy leather bound book lay open on it, surrounded by corked bottles and brassy weights were piled up at one side next to an old fashioned scale.  
“Woah,” Minho said in awe. “This place is beautiful.”  
“You think so?” the boy asked excitedly. “Hyunjin worked really hard make it look right. I don't understand anything about that- I'd just leave everything on piles on the floor.” He lowered Minho onto a stool by the table and knelt down to gently remove Minho's shoe.  
“Ah, Hyunjin did this?” Minho said, impressed at the school boy.

“You know Hyunjin?” the boy from earlier said, climbing out of the window display. He balanced precariously on a box before flipping lightly to the floor.  
“I met him briefly the other day,” Minho admitted. “At that 24 hour cafe?”  
The boys face lit up and he bowed to Minho. “You must be Minho-ssi!” He said excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “I knew you tasted weird!”  
The boy at Minho's foot glanced up apologetically. “Sorry, Felix's English is a work in process,” he said.  
“No, Sungie, he really does taste weird.” Felix whined. “It's Minho-ssi, the elf Channie-hyung met.”

The boy's eyes widened. “Ah, you're the elf! Pleased to meet you, Minho-ssi. I'm Jisung, I run this shop with Chan-hyung and Binnie-hyung.” He grinned. “And since you're an elf I can just do this instead of messing about with plants.” Jisung cupped Minho's ankle carefully and Minho felt it start to itch and heat up as the boy muttered words under his breath. After a few seconds he stopped, swaying slightly and holding Minho's calf for support. Felix rolled his eyes at Minho and scooped Jisung up by the armpit, setting him down again on the stool next to Minho.

“This is why he should use potions instead of spells,” Felix told Minho as Jisung slumped against the table. “I'll be one minute,” Felix called and skipped out past a curtain on the back wall.  
“Are you a witch?” Minho asked, prodding a chubby cheek to check Jisung was still awake.  
Jisung mumbled incoherently and opened one eye. “Pretty cool right,” he said, smiling lazily and closing his eyes again. 

Felix skipped back in and shoved a box under Jisung's nose. “Sungie-yah, chocolate,” he sang, wafting the smell to alert the boy. Jisung blinked once and opened his mouth, tongue sticking out. Felix placed a square on the tip and the tongue retreated.  
“Now we wait,” Felix said, stroking Jisung's long hair back from his face.  
“What happened? Is he ok?” Minho asked. Jisung's cheeks had got impossibility chubbier as he sucked on the chocolate square and Minho was mesmerized.  
“Uh,” Felix said. “I don't know how to explain in Korean.” He admitted, rubbing his neck. “Magic takes his blood energy, makes him sleepy. He's fine, chocolate will make him better,” Felix said confidently. Jisung's tongue stuck back out, now lightly coated in melted chocolate and Felix gave him another square. 

Minho flexed his ankle. He could tell it had been injured from the way it didn't quite move as fluidly as it should but it didn't hurt at all and there was no bruise forming. Perhaps Jisung had managed to heal it before he drained himself. Jisung's tongue stuck out once more and Felix let out a melodic giggle as he fed his friend.  
“No more!” Felix laughed as Jisung's tongue reappeared not ten seconds later. Jisung's tongue waggled and Felix laughed, chastising Jisung in a language that sounded like chiming glass and water droplets. Jisung replied shortly in the same language and sat up, rubbing his eyes.  
“Sorry for collapsing on you,” Jisung said, hiding a yawn. “It's been a while since breakfast and I forgot how much energy that takes.”  
“It's not a problem,” Minho said hurriedly. “You shouldn't have if it takes that much it of you.” 

Jisung waved him off and leant down to touch Minho's ankle. “Ah,” he said in annoyance as he focused. “I only sped it to a week, it's still injured.”  
“Don't-!” Minho said, pulling his leg back.  
“I wasn't going to,” Jisung smiled. “I don't have any blood sugar left.” He glanced to Felix who was perched on the table, nibbling some of the chocolate, then back to Minho. “Do you want to join us for lunch, Minho-ssi?” he asked. “I can fix your ankle afterwards.”  
Minho couldn't say no. Something about Jisung pulled at Minho's focus more than anything else in his shop and Minho didn't know how to look away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, this is fun! Any guesses as to what Felix is? Or the others I haven't introduced yet? More coming soon


	3. Daytime Dad

There was a third boy in the back of the shop, working in the dark on a gem with a pin sized light between his teeth and soft gloves on his hands. He chipped minute shards off the gem with a chisel and smoothed off the surface, holding it up to the light.

“Binnie-hyung, do you want to join us for lunch?” Felix called quietly from the door so not to startle the boy.  
Minho saw the boy's face transform from fierce concentration to the softest of smiles. “Two more minutes Lixie,” the boy said, laying down his tools briefly as Felix bounced across the room to hug him from behind and hook his chin on the boy's shoulder.  
“I'll watch,” Felix announced and Jisung rolled his eyes, tugging Minho past them to the stairs to the apartment above.  
“Felix could stab Changbin with a blunt spoon and Changbin would thank him, he's so whipped,” Jisung complained.

 

“So, you met Chan at Jippap?” Changbin asked at lunch.  
“Sorry?” Minho said, covering his mouth so he didn't spray rice across the table- that wouldn't make a great first impression.  
“Jippap,” Changbin repeated. “The cafe downtown.”  
“Yeah, I helped him pick up some papers and he started speaking elvish,” Minho said.  
“Sounds like Chan-hyung,” Felix said, spearing a piece of chicken on one chopstick and holding it out for Changbin. “He found me lost on the subway and started speaking fae in the middle of a crowded carriage in rush hour.”  
_So Felix is one of the fae,_ Minho thought, that would explain why he couldn't understand them earlier. He then caught up to the rest of the sentence.  
“At rush hour?” he asked, sandalised. “The council could get him exiled for that.”  
“Tell us about it,” Jisung said. “We've been trying to get Chan-hyung to be more subtle with the whole “Not Human” thing for years but the second he sees a stray all self- preservation goes out the window.”  
“Ya! I'm not a stray,” Minho protested. “I have a house and a job and friends.” The last bit might have been a bit of a lie. He was friendly with his colleagues and spoke to his downstairs neighbour on occasion.

“You're a stray,” Changbin said confidently. “Chan-hyung's a collector. Sungie was first, then me. With you that makes 8 so far.”  
“Who says I'm staying?” Minho said stubbornly but truthfully this was more at home then he'd felt in years, eating lunch with three strangers he met not half an hour ago.  
“Who said you get to leave?” Jisung replied cheekily, clearing their dirty dishes from the table. “I'll finish healing your ankle once I've put these in the kitchen.

“You said there were 8 strays Chan's collected,” Minho said, mostly to keep Changbin's attention off Felix so he felt like less of a third wheel. “I've met the school kids. Who's left?”  
“Daytime Dad,” Felix grinned. “Woojin was a bit of a lone wolf for a long time which must have sucked because he gives the best cuddles. He's in charge when Chan-hyung's asleep.”

As if summoned, Chan walked into the room, bare feet slapping on the hard floor. His eyes were unfocused and half lidded under his messy hair and Minho was impressed he managed to pull out a chair and sit in it without stumbling to the floor.  
“Good afternoon, Chan,” Changbin teased. Chan made no motion he had even heard him. Felix started separating the tangles in Chan's hair and twirling the brittle strands back together into his curls.

“Ah, Dark-time Dad, why are you up?” Jisung asked as he came back into the room.  
“Don't call me that,” Chan mumbled. “Couldn't sleep.”  
“Should I try making that sleeping draught again?” Jisung suggested.  
Felix cupped Chan's head and shook it for him.  
“You still haven't made up our losses from the last explosion,” Changbin grumbled. “No way you're starting a new one.”  
“I know what went wrong the last time though,” Jisung protested. “I chopped the mint in the wrong direction.”  
“I don't believe you,” Changbin retorted, crossing his arms so his muscles stood out. Minho supposed it was to make him seem more intimidating but it only emphasised how small the rest of his body was in proportion. “If you're going to make explosions, do it far away from the shop.” Changbin ordered. Jisung stuck his tongue out in retaliation.

“I'm fine, Sungie,” Chan assured him.  
Jisung sighed, clearly not convinced. “Blood?” he asked. Chan nodded making Felix whine as the movement messed with his progress on Chan’s curls.  
“And toast please,” Chan requested.  
Jisung shuffled or the room again and Minho heard the telltale sound of a microwave.

The blood wasn't going to be fresh then.That was good, Minho wasn’t sure he could handle that. He wondered where Chan got it from. He didn't seem like the type to steal from hospitals but them again surely that was preferred if the other option was biting unsuspecting humans. Or maybe his friends offered theirs. _Was that why Chan had so many friends?_

Minho was jolted out of his spiralling thoughts as Jisung set a glass of blood and plate of toast in front of Chan. The glass wasn't even completely full yet there was a pile of at least 6 toast slices on Chan's plate. Minho thought it seemed like a waste for Chan to eat so much food if he didn't need it.

Felix leaned over from where he'd crawled into Changbin's lap and whispered, “it's cow blood,” to Minho. Minho watched as Chan threw back the blood, grimacing like he'd taken a shot of cheap vodka. He was then immediately wolfing down the toast, barely chewing it in the way past. Two slices in he seemed to return to his senses and slowed down, finally aware of his audience.

“Minho?” Chan asked, confused. He self-consciously wiped the blood from the corners of his mouth. “When did you get here?”  
“He was walking past earlier and Felix scared him and he hurt his ankle,” Jisung said before Minho could even open his mouth to answer. “I healed it a bit and I'm going to finish now we've had lunch.”  
“Felix!” Chan scolded. “Were you in the window display again?”  
“It’s nice in the window,” Felix huffed.  
“Did you at least apologise?” Chan said. Minho could see why the others called him Dad. 

Felix’s eyes widened in panic and he nearly smacked his forehead off the table in his rush to bow. “I’m sorry for surprising you, Minho-ssi.” Felix said. “And for making you get hurt.”  
“It’s fine, Felix,” Minho assured him, hating how worried the boy looked. “Really. I know you didn’t mean it. And call me Hyung.”  
Felix beamed and Minho suddenly saw why Changbin would do anything for the boy. That smile held power and Felix surely knew it. Minho hoped he was one of the more benevolent species of fae and not an imp like Seungmin or there were a lot more broken ankles in store for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you look at that, Changlix causally happening in the background. Also as a vampire Chan is an old man and as an old man he has to collect something. The squad is assembling. Any guesses as to where the other 4 are?


	4. Why the chicken?

“So Minho, how are you?” Chan asked in elvish, chewing his way through his pile of toast. “Aside from the broken ankle.”  
Jisung sat and propped Minho foot on his thigh to start healing it again and winked at Minho since he was facing away from Chan. _“You’re being adopted,”_ he mouthed as he rolled up the leg of Minho’s sweats. Minho aimed a light kick at his hand.

“I’m fine,” Minho said and it was almost true. He could already feel a hollowness in his heart at the thought of going back to his lonely flat later and eating dinner without the buzz of chatter. And then waking and going back to the studio alone to dance alone all day. He didn’t know why the thought made him feel that way when he had been perfectly content with his routine for years. Maybe Chan had compelled him that night they met.  
“I got bored dancing this morning and decided to try and find the shop you mentioned,” Minho added.

“Do you like it?” Chan asked eagerly. “Binnie and Sungie here have really brought it to life.”  
Hearing their names, both boys perked up and the heat of Jisung’s magic left Minho’s ankle.  
“What are you saying about us?” Changbin asked, peering around Felix’s shoulder to narrow his eyes at Chan.  
“Only good things,” Chan replied with a wink.  
“The shop is beautiful,” Minho said, continuing their conversation in Korean for the benefit of the other boys in the room. If they didn’t speak Fae so he could understand the least he could do was return the favour. “What do you sell?”  
“That depends on who comes in,” Changbin told him. “For humans it’s jewellery and precious stones- my speciality. For mystics Jisung can do some potions and spells and Felix goes through the Fairy Realm sometimes to get us rare items. Chan-hyung runs therapy in the back downstairs with Woojin-hyung but we don’t really advertise that. It’s just kinda known from word-of-mouth in the mystic community.”

“Why the chicken?” Minho asked before he could stop himself.  
Changbin laughed, a shockingly high pitched chuckle, and Chan pulled a face.  
“I turned Chan-hyung into a chicken once,” Jisung admitted. “It took us weeks to work out how to get him back and by that time he became the shop mascot.”  
“Why am I letting you fix my ankle then?” Minho asked. He flexed his foot. Or he tried to flex his foot. His ankle joint, while no longer painful, was seized solid. “Jisung,” Minho said as calmly as he could. “What have you done?”

“But I healed it,” Jisung said, voice rising in panic. Minho felt heat on his ankle again as Jisung mumbled under his breath to push his magic through the joint in a scan. His foot got hotter as Jisung became frantic. “I healed it, there's nothing wrong. Why won't it move?”  
Minho gently pried Jisung's fingers from his foot and held his hands. “Calm down. You need to think and save your energy so you can fix it.”  
“What if I can't fix it?” Jisung wailed.  
“You have to,” Minho said firmly. “I work as a backup dancer.” He meant it as motivation but it had the opposite effect.  
“You're a dancer?” Jisung said, near hysterical. Minho watched in horror as hot tears pooled in Jisung's eyes. “Channie!” the younger boy called out like a child and in seconds Chan moved around the table and had pulled Jisung into his lap.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Chan comforted, pushing a hard candy between Jisung's pouting lips. “No tears. You're a talented witch Sungie, you can fix this. I'm here, I'm going to help you.”  
Jisung sucked on the candy and wiped away his tears, gradually calming as Chan bounced him on his knee. Minho was starting to get the idea that doing magic left Jisung very vulnerable and he was amazed someone would be willing to go through that for him.

“I'm not mad,” Minho told Jisung, reaching out to wipe the tear trails from his checks. Truthfully he wasn't mad, he was terrified. Dancing was is job, his hobby, his sanity and he didn't know what he would do without it. The thought of going back to the forest to work in his father's shop only filled him with dread. “I believe in you, Jisung.”  
“You shouldn't.” Jisung said, pulling Chan's arms tighter around him, caging him from the world. “I'm a shit witch that can't even do simple magic without fucking it up or passing out.” 

“Sungie, that's not right,” Chan said, poking the boy's side.  
Jisung gave a watery sigh. “I'm an untrained witch that can't yet access his core,” he corrected.  
“Better,” Chan smiled.

“We're home!!” came a screech from below them followed by a stampede of feet on the stairs. Hyunjin burst into the room first with Seungmin and a boy Minho guessed to be Jeongin hot on his heels.  
“Hi, Minho-ssi!” The boy said excitedly as he spotted him. Now he was closer Minho realised his big almond shaped eyes where the same as the girl from the coffee shop.  
“Hi Jeongin,” Minho replied. “Call me hyung.”  
“You recognised me!” Jeongin smiled widely and tugged on Seungmin's sleeve. “Hyung, Minho-hyung recognised me.”  
“You're eyes are very memorable,” Minho offered.  
“They're really pretty, aren't they,” Seungmin said quietly, staring fondly as Jeongin bounced over to hug Minho. Minho wasn't exactly a big hugger but he could make an exception.

“How was the seaside?” Changbin asked as the younger boys settled into empty seats. Jeongin sat on Minho's lap and Minho wrapped an arm around him in support should he start bouncing again.  
“Hyunjin splashed me,” Seungmin said bitterly. His t-shirt did look a little damp.  
“Yeah well you got the seaweed to gang up on me,” Hyunjin countered.  
“It was self-defence,” Seungmin shot back.

“I was an octopus,” Jeongin interrupted them. “There was a tiny crack in a boulder and I squeezed in and I found this,” he said proudly, holding out a piece of finely decorated blue pottery.  
“That's beautiful Innie,” Felix said, crawling onto the table for a better look.  
“Lixie, off the table,” Chan said and Felix crawled backwards into Changbin's waiting arms. 

Jisung was looking better though it was obvious he had been crying from his puffy eyes and blotchy cheeks. He'd pulled up his own leg and was running magic through his ankle with a frown on his face. Minho caught Chan's eye and let him know with a tilt of his head. The vampire subtly pulled Jisung's hands away, lacing his fingers with his own.

The door to the shop downstairs creaked open again and a smiling tanned man walked in, toeing off his shoes and hanging up a thick denim jacket. He crossed the room and planted a kiss on Chan's expectant upturned face. “There was a human customer but I've shut the shop for now since nobody's down there.”  
“Thanks, babe,” Chan said. The others seemed unbothered by this exchange so presumably this was ‘Daytime Dad’.  
“Jinnie, this is Minho.” Chan induced them. “Minho, this is Woojin, the final member of my chaotic family.”  
Woojin smiled warmly. “It's lovely to meet you, Minho.”  
“He’s Daytime Dad,” Felix supplied helpfully.  
“Don't call me that,” Woojin growled playfully and Felix screamed in delight as Woojin chased him into the next room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm projecting by sending characters to the beach because I miss the sea.
> 
> Also- OT9, OT9, OT9! Stray Kids assemble!


	5. Sungie, Sungie, Sungie

When the schoolkids went to wash the salt from their skin Chan herded a reluctant Jisung back downstairs. Minho’s cheeks burned as he accepted a piggy back from Chan as he was essentially hobbled and would otherwise have to hop down the stairs.

“Lets see if we can work out what went wrong,” Chan said setting Minho down. He turned and scanned the shelves, humming to himself. He pulled out a heavy looking textbook from a pile near the floor and dropped it with a thump on the table before darting back towards the apartment at a speed Minho could only just follow.

“I'm really sorry,” Jisung said dejectedly, picking at a deep gouge in the table's surface. “I shouldn't have tried to heal your ankle, I'm much better with emotions.”  
“It's ok, Jisung. I can see what you're doing is difficult.”  
Jisung grunted and picked more aggressively at the table.

“This should help!” Chan said cheerily coming back into the room with a burst of wind that blew Jisung's hair back from his forehead. Chan held up a small book that looked like it was bound with bark. “Fae Anatomy,” Chan announced, opening the boom to show drawings in fine detail, labelled in tight cursive. 

“I'm not a fae,” Minho said coldly.  
“I know, I know,” Chan backtracked hastily. “But your bone structure should still be similar, right? It's better than that human anatomy book.”  
Minho glared but admitted that was true.  
“I would use an elf anatomy book if I had one but your species isn't exactly the friendliest,” Chan said apologetically.  
“I wonder why,” Minho said sarcastically.

Jisung had taken the journal and was flipping through it eagerly. “Oh,” he said, finally reaching the structure of the foot.  
“Oh?” Minho echoed him expectantly.  
“I didn't know fae were that different,” Jisung admitted, tracing the labels. “I might… have fused two bones together?”  
“I'm not a fae.” Minho said again. He didn't have anything against the fae really but prejudices ran deep and he couldn't let himself be mislabelled as one of them after all that had happened.  
“Sorry, elves” Jisung corrected himself quickly. “Can I-” he broke of to study the book closer. “Can I scan both your feet at once?” He asked. “I should be able to convince your bones to mimic the other foot.”  
“In mirror,” Chan reminded. He'd been watching the exchange with a proud smile, chin propped on his hand.  
“Yeah, mirrored to the other foot,” Jisung mumbled. He gently cupped Minho's heels and pulled his feet onto his lap. Before Minho felt the now familiar heat of magic, Jisung stalled, tracing around his ankle bones. Minho fought the urge to kick as it tickled. “I don't want to make it worse,” Jisung whispered.  
“You won't,” Minho whispered back. Despite evidence for the contrary Minho trusted the young witch and Chan was sitting right across from them ready to step in. Thinking about it, Minho didn't really have much reason to trust Chan either. His mother would berate him if she knew how friendly he was becoming with other mystic species but his mother wasn't here and Minho had no plan to return home.

Jisung's magic barely warmed Minho's feet and it was gone again.  
“Woah,” Jisung slurred. “Breaking bones is much harder.”  
Minho pulled his feet back and reached to catch Jisung as he slumped forward. Unfortunately, Minho forgot one of his feet didn't have the benefit of balance and tumbled into Jisung. Dancer's instinct was all that kept them upright, Jisung cradled in Minho's arms as Minho threw his bad leg backwards to counter the weight. Chan was around the table in less than a second, grabbing the back of Minho's shirt and helping him back to his seat.

“Well, it looks like you might need to wait a bit longer to be healed, Minho,” Chan said, checking him over for additional injuries.  
Minho looked down at the witch in his arms. Jisung was barely conscious, his head resting against Minho’s chest, eyes fluttering.  
“That's ok,” Minho said quietly. “I don't want him to hurt himself.”  
Chan smiled knowingly. “I'm going to find some sugar for him,” he said and dashed off.

Minho tapped against the boy's cheek. “Stay awake for me Jisungie,” he called out. Jisung moaned and turned his face into Minho's chest away from the attack. “Sungie, Sungie, Sungie,” Minho sang using the nickname he'd heard from the other boys as he gently shook the witch. “Eyes open, just a bit longer.” 

Chan came back with a sugary sports drink and Woojin hot on his heels. Minho caught the drink as Chan threw it and bit off the cap. “Sugar, Sungie,” he announced holding the drink to Jisung's lips. Jisung's eyes had blinked shut and he made no motion to drink. Minho squeezed the bottle lightly, getting the sugary liquid to coat his lips and drip into his mouth. After a few painfully long seconds, Jisung opened his mouth further allowing Minho to bottle feed him.  
“Thank God,” Chan said. “I was worried we were going to have to resort to insulin.”

“No more attempts today, Jisung,” Minho said. Jisung eyes were open now and he loosely held the bottle in his own hands, sucking sleepily at the sugary drink.  
“I'm glad you agree,” Chan said. “I'd like it if you'd stay the night, Minho. It's our fault your ankle is in this state and I'd worry about you going home alone.”  
“He really would worry,” Woojin added, nudging Chan playfully with his hip. “We'll be having chicken for dinner if that's alright and I'm sure some of the kids would bunk to give you their bed.”  
“If you're sure that's all right,” Minho answered. It sounded like chaos given the boys involved but a chaos Minho would love to join. 

“Excellent!” Woojin beamed. “Let's get you two upstairs somewhere more comfortable then.” He held out his arms for Jisung but the boy scowled and clung to Minho. “Sungie, Minho can't carry you. He can't walk either.” Woojin reminded him.  
Jisung fisted his free hand in Minho's shirt and continued drinking.  
“Fine,” Woojin said, unbothered. “5 minutes.” 

He sat on a free stool next to them and pulled Chan down into his lap. Chan went eagerly and began playing with the rings on Woojin's fingers. Minho noticed a silver band with carved lettering he recognised from Jisung's thumb. Paying closer attention he spotted it on Chan's right ring finger too. 

“Time's up, sunshine,” Woojin announced as Jisung finished his drink. It had definitely been more than 5 minutes.  
Jisung dutifully untangled from Minho and held out his hands for Woojin who scooped him up like he weighed nothing. Chan gave Minho a dimpled smile and turned for Minho to hop on his back. It wasn't nearly as embarrassing as it had been before.

The couple took them upstairs and into a room Minho hadn't seen yet. He guessed it was the living room as there wasn't technically a bed under the duvets. Woojin set Jisung down on a worn couch, tucking a blanket around him. The couch cushions had been squashed down from too many bodies over the years and converted almost seamlessly to the sprawl of giant bean bags on the floor in a mess of pillows and blankets.

“We didn't clear up after movie night,” Chan apologised to Minho as he picked his way across the room. He set Minho next to Jisung and the younger boy reached out a hand to tug Minho closer.  
“If he gets too clingy yell for someone,” Chan told Minho. “Hyunjin loves cuddles.”  
Minho didn't think he'd be yelling for anyone somehow.  
“We've got to head back down to the shop but Jisung should start to be more active in a few minutes,” Woojin said with a wave. “Call of you need anything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very ship-heavy chapter but I like the way it turned out. Team Dad will always be my favourite.


	6. Not everyone can dissolve bones

“Are you feeling more awake yet, Jisung?” Minho asked. The boy had curled up in Minho's lap again and firmly placed Minho's hand on his head. Minho took that as a cue to card his fingers through his soft blue hair. Even the roots were blue and Minho wondered if magic was involved or it was his natural colour. He really didn't know much about witches besides the First Spell story.  
“Sungie,” Jisung mumbled.  
“What was that?,” Minho asked.  
“Sungie,” Jisung said louder. “Earlier you called me Sungie. I liked that.”  
Minho was glad Jisung's head was still in his lap and he couldn't see him blush. “Ok _Sungie_ ,” he emphasized. “Are you feeling more awake?”  
“I'm awake,” Jisung admitted. “But this is nice.”  
“I'm not going anywhere fast,” Minho joked, scratching Jisung's scalp lightly.  
Jisung whined. “I'm really sorry,” he mumbled into Minho's leg. “I'll fix it tomorrow, I promise.”  
“No rush, Sungie,” Minho said, welcoming an excuse to stay longer. “I've got years worth of sick days to use up.”

“Minho-hyung!” Hyunjin said stumbling into the room. “Felix said you're a dancer, can you teach me to dance?” His eyes were mostly hidden by his fringe, damp from showering, but Minho could still see the excitement gleaming. Seungmin and Felix appeared too, shoving each other to get there first and arguing in Fae like pots being dropped in a sink.  
“Us too!” Seungmin said, having temporary won his tussle.  
“I can't dance right now,” Minho reminded them. “My foot is fused together.”

“Did Sungie not fix it?” Hyunjin asked.  
“No,” Jisung grumbled, sitting up to glare more effectively. “Not everyone can dissolve bones as easily as you.”  
Hyunjin grinned and did a body roll with his _legs_ that completely ignored the anatomy of knees.  
“What the fuck,” Minho said before he could censor himself.  
Seungmin punched Hyunjin. “Those are my jeans, don't ruin then.”

“Hyunjin's an octopus mer,” Jisung said helpfully. “He's got 3 hearts too.”  
Minho stared in awe at the skinny boy in front of him, trying to comprehend where exactly he was keeping three hearts, where his bones went and-  
“Do you have 8 legs?” Minho asked weakly, unsure if he was ready for the answer.  
“Not right now,” Hyunjin said. “But I can-”  
“No!” Seungmin said, clamping Hyunjin's arms to his body. “Those are _my_ jeans.”

“I have wings. Do you want to see?” Felix offered.  
“No, I believe you,” Minho said but Felix had pulled his t shirt over his head and turned to show translucent black wings folded across the back of his ribs. Seungmin pulled Hyunjin to the ground as they unfolded, the tips having being tucked closest to Felix's body. Once they were half-open they nearly touched the ground and Felix's back flexed to shoot them out either side of him as they finished straightening out. The right wing couldn't quite extend fully in the room and curved, pressing against the wall. Minho could see why Seungmin ducked as Felix turned to grin proudly at Minho.

“That's amazing,” Minho said without any enthusiasm. Felix appeared not to notice and folded his wings back under his t-shirt.  
Minho turned to Seungmin expectantly and gestured for him to show whatever weird body quirk he had hidden. Seungmin shook his head.  
“You and I are the most anatomically similar of the nine of us,” Seungmin informed him. “I have nothing you don't know about.”  
“Oh, are you a fae?” Hyunjin piped up. Everyone else in the room tensed and Jisung laid a warning hand on Minho's thigh.  
“No, he's not,” Felix said carefully like he was afraid to say the wrong word. Minho twitched a smile in his direction to show it was nothing personal.  
“We have homework,” Seungmin announced suddenly, pulling Hyunjin from the room. “See you later, Minho-hyung!”

“You know it doesn't matter to us that you're an elf, Hyung,” Felix said quietly, sitting the other side of Jisung. “Me and Seungmin weren't alive for the First Spell but it seems like it was a good thing it happened.”  
“I think so too,” Minho said and Jisung linked their fingers together, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. “I'm just not fae, you know? I wasn't born there, neither were my parents. I don't even know what the Fairy Realm is like.”

“It's really beautiful, Hyung,” Felix breathed. “More alive than any forest here and the food is amazing. I can bring you some back next time I go if you want?”  
It went against everything he had been taught growing up but Minho couldn't help be curious. And he was friends with fae now, what difference would eating some of the food do? It's not like he was trying to get into the Fairy Realm.  
“That would be nice,” he said.

“Get wonderglion juice, Lix!” Jisung said, recovered from his magic use at the thought of food and clinging on to his friend. Minho mourned the loss of his hand.  
“Oh! And strawberries!” Jisung continued. “Minho-hyung the strawberries there are so good. They make our ones taste like water. Can you go tomorrow? I really want strawberries now.”

“Have you got information to buy these strawberries with, Sungie?” Felix replied dryly.  
“Uuuhhh,” Jisung paused and squinted hard like he was reading an eye exam printed on the sun. “Some people think the earth is flat?”  
“We've used that one.”  
“Carrots used to be purple?”  
“No value. Everyone knows that.”  
“I heard a kid on the bus say 'yeet’ as an old lady went flying when the bus braked?”  
“That gets you 1 strawberry,” Felix said. “You've got to find something better if you want wonderglion juice.”

“You've met an elf?” Minho tried.  
“That,” Felix said pointing at him, “is good information. Worth way more strawberries than I could carry. But I'm not giving that away, it puts all of us at risk from the batshit oldies who made the First Curse.” He leant around Jisung and sent Minho a more subdued version of his blinding smile.

Jisung pulled Felix down into his lap. “What batshit oldies?” he demanded, ducking down and pressing their heads together so Felix ended up cross-eyed trying to maintain eye contact. “Are they hurting my Lixie when you go home?”  
“It's fine, Sungie,” Felix said, patting Jisung's cheek. “Some of the elders just aren't very friendly about people who leave the Fairy Realm.”  
“Tell me the truth,” Jisung pouted.  
Felix rolled his eyes. “That was the truth, Sungie.”  
“The real true,” Jisung pressed.  
Felix sighed and pushed Jisung away. “They're racist, ok,” Felix said. “They call humans horrible names and they call me and Minnie names for associating with this world. They'd never hurt us though because we're still 'pure’ fae”. He made quotation marks in the air as he pulled a face. “They'd probably want the shit beaten out of me if they heard about Changbin being a dwarf but most fae are pretty chill about Truailleadh.”

Felix had made another chiming noise at the end of his sentence but Minho could almost hear the word underneath. “True-what?” Minho asked.  
“Truailleadh,” Felix repeated and it was slightly clearer that time. “I guess you can hear that word because it's a name. It's what we call this world.”  
“It mostly sounds like you're dropping chopsticks in a wine glass, but yeah I could hear it,” Minho admitted.  
“You can't hear Fae?” Jisung asked in confusion.  
“Can't hear it, can't speak it,” Minho confirmed. “Didn't your parents teach you about the First Curse?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this even making sense to you guys? Obviously I'm keeping some facts hidden but is the conversation too confusing?
> 
> Also, Jisung being a confident gay, who knew


	7. No death threats at the table

Jisung scratched the back of his neck self-consciously. “Ah well, I actually thought I was 100% human until Chan found me a few years back. My parents don't know shit about mystics.”  
Minho felt terrible. How could he have been so insensitive? “I'm sorry Jisung. I-”  
“It's ok, Hyung.” Jisung cut him off. “Channie-hyung's taught me a lot and Felix and Minnie tell me stories about the Fairy Realm. I guess the First Curse isn't the kind of thing people want to bring up though.”

“Not really,” Felix said quietly, pulling his limbs back into himself to hug them tightly. “It was pretty fucked up.”  
Minho reached over Jisung and tapped Felix lightly on the knee. When Felix looked up he opened his arms in invitation and Felix hurried crawled over Jisung's lap into Minho’s embrace.  
“It wasn't you Felix,” Minho murmured into his hair. “And this world is not so bad, is it?”  
Felix nodded and buried his face in the crook of Minho’s neck. Minho ran a hand up and down his spine in comfort, feeling the slight flex of Felix's wings under his palm. 

He had forgotten how nice the casual touches he got at home were. Since moving to the human city Minho had grown used to almost no physical contact but it was like a dam had broken when Jeongin sat on his lap earlier and he couldn’t help return the affection he was given.  
“I'm going to find you the best damn strawberries in the whole Realm,” Felix promised.  
“I’ll hold you to that,” Minho replied jokingly, squeezing the fae boy tight. “You’ll need really good gossip for that though.”  
“It doesn’t have to be gossip,” Felix said. “Chan-hyung paid with a song once. That was really valuable but the fae he sold it to took his memory of the song and all his notes so Chan-hyung doesn’t have that song anymore.”

“What about idols?” Minho mused. “Is that information valuable?”  
“If you’re the first one with the news then yeah,” Felix conceded. “But so many young fae use the gates that I’ve never had information they didn’t already know.”  
“What if I knew something that hasn’t been released yet?” Minho teased. Felix almost toppled to the floor in shock and Jisung visibly lit up, his eyes shining brightly as he grabbed onto Minho’s arm in anticipation.  
Seungmin’s suddenly appear around the door frame. “I taste gossip, he announced, smiling mischievously upon seeing Jisung’ and Felix’s faces.

“I know BTS’s next comeback date?” Minho offered.  
“Hyuuuuuuuuung,” Jisung drawled appreciatively. “That’s the good shit right there. Where have you been all my life?”  
Minho could say the same but the answer would probably be ‘not born yet’.  
Felix and Seungmin were back to arguing in Fae. Maybe it wasn’t arguing. Minho couldn’t really tell.

“Fuck school!” Seungmin suddenly blurted in Korean.  
“Woah, Minnie,” Jisung placated. “What happened to our straight A student?”  
“Felix wants to go alone with Hyung’s gossip,” Seungmin whined and actually stamped his foot to punctuate his words.  
“You’ll miss school if you come,” Felix said, clearly tired of repeating himself.  
“You don’t know that,” Seungmin argued. “It could be short this time. And if you go alone you won’t get the best price for it. You have to go to the biggest fan and then do conversions to get the strawberries.”  
Minho looked to Jisung for an explanation and the witch shrugged. “They’ll do whatever Chan-hyung thinks is best anyway,” he said as the fae's argument got more and more animated.

Jisung was right. When Chan closed up the shop later that afternoon he had barely made it up the stairs and he was accosted by the fae boys.  
“So who do you think will win?” Minho whispered conspiratorially to Jisung.  
“Seungmin probably.” Jisung said. “He hates losing arguments.”  
Chan laughed at something Felix said and patted Felix on the head. It looked pitying and Seungmin's smug smile grew.  
“Incoming,” Jisung warned Minho seconds before Felix turned and launched himself over the beanbags onto the sofa. Or more accurately, onto Minho and Jisung who had the misfortune to be sitting on the sofa.

“Lix!” Chan scolded. “You've only just met Minho and he's injured thanks to you. Maybe don't jump on him?”  
“Sorry, Minho-hyung,” Felix mumbled into the cushions. He had landed side-on and Minho had a suspicion wings had been involved because he hadn't be winded nearly as badly as he expected.  
“You’re fine, Lix,” Minho assured him. “Jisung gave me a warning.”  
Jisung slapped Felix's ass, perhaps just because it was there, and the sound echoed. Jisung grinned and did it again and Felix whined and wriggled off them, tumbling onto the bean bags at their feet.  
“Why, Sungie?” he whined, pouting up at the witch.  
“Good noise,” Jisung replied.

Half way through an impromptu body percussion jam session a wailing call echoed through the apartment.  
“Was that-” Minho asked, not very sure if he wanted to finish his sentence.  
“Dinner!” Felix and Jisung chorused and dashed off.  
A few seconds later Minho heard Woojin chastising them from the kitchen for leaving their guest behind and the boys came skidding back into the living room. Felix quite literally skidded through the doorway and crashed into the bean bags. 

He sat up eagerly, his fringe in his eyes and grinned at a spot a few feet to Minho's left.  
“Over here, roadrunner,” Minho called as Jisung helped him to stand on his good leg.  
“What's a roadrunner?” Felix asked, doing forward rolls across the beanbags towards them.  
“Uh, it's an old cartoon character,” Minho said, not wanting to spark more questions with his answer.  
“I don't like running,” Felix said, slinging Minho's arm over his shoulder to help him hop to the dining room.  
“Let me guess- you like flying?” Minho said and Jisung bit his lip as Felix missed the sarcastic drawl of Minho's voice again.  
“I do like flying!” Felix said excitedly.

“No flying inside,” Chan reminded him carrying an office chair through to the table. The wheels had barely touched the ground and Jeongin was already sitting on it, laughing gleefully as he spun across the room. Changbin caught the chair before it went careering into the wall and pushed him back towards the table.

“Ya! Out my seat, you little monster!” Chan yelled.  
“Bums on seats, Hyung,” Jeongin said, shuffling the seat to the head of the table and picking up the cutlery set there to claim the place as his own.  
“Fangs in neck,” Chan countered, snapping his teeth playfully.  
“No death threats at the table,” Woojin said mildly, coming from the kitchen with a steaming pile of chicken. Hyunjin followed with a large bowl of veg that looked significantly less appetising.

“Channie, go drink before chicken or you'll eat it all,” Woojin commanded.  
“You ate more than me last time,” Chan grumbled but he got up to leave the room. Jeongin pulled the lever to raise his chair and spun to stick his tongue out at Chan as he left. Chan mimed biting him and Jeongin giggled as he reached for the chicken.

“You've got to be fast here,” Changbin told Minho, setting a plate of food in front of him. “If you're polite you'll starve.” He smacked Hyunjin's hand away from the chicken and served himself. “Vegetables won't kill you, Jinnie.”  
“They might,” the younger boy grumbled but took some peas reluctantly. “Seungmin exists.”  
“Oh, you want to see what I can do with vegetables?” Seungmin grinned from across the table. He had his peas readied on his spoon like a catapult aimed at Hyunjin.  
“You can _digest them_ or you won't get dessert,” Woojin warned and Seungmin moodily put the spoon in his mouth.

Chan returned, wiping blood from the corner of his lips with the back of his hand and immediately stole a chicken leg from Jeongin's plate as he passed.  
“Hyung!” Jeongin whined but Felix had already replaced his stolen food with a leg of his own, earning himself an adorable closed eyed smile from the maknae.  
“If you could all manage to eat your own food, that would be great,” Woojin said wearily.  
Minho caught Jisung's eye and winked before taking a leg off the witch's plate and staring straight at Woojin as he bit into it.  
“You're outnumbered, Jinnie,” Chan laughed as Minho accepted a high five from Seungmin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soft Minho and Felix hours are open. Feel free to put forward your theories of the first curse but we've got more family bonding before that's revealed. tbh i havent really decided how or when i'll reveal that, I'll see what happens. 
> 
> I don't know about your dinner time but if I had 8 brothers instead of 1 it would definitely be at least that chaotic every time


	8. Musical beds

“Right, Binnie and Lix. Can you share a bed tonight so Minho can get Changbin's bed for the night?” Chan asked once everyone had been appeased by cheesecake.  
“Why do I have to share with the couple?” Seungmin complained.  
“I'll share with Changlix,” Hyunjin offered, raising his hand.  
Jeongin pulled his hand back down, hissing “This isn't school, idiot.”  
“I can sleep on the couch,” Minho offered, not wanting to be the cause of any fights. “Then nobody has to move.”

“It's fine, really,” Woojin assured him quietly. “They're just being awkward for the sake of it.”  
True to his words Jeongin piped up. “What if Hyunjin-hyung and Seungmin-hyung shared and Minho-hyung slept in my room?” Somehow he had managed to find the one arrangement that nobody liked and he was shouted down from all sides immediately. Minho had completely lost track of who normally shared with who. All he could remember was that Felix and Changbin weren't normally together. From the chaos that had ensued, that was probably a good thing.

“Guys!” Chan yelled over them. “You were all sleeping in one pile in the living room last night why is this so different?”  
“Jisung-hyung is hogging Minho-hyung.”  
“I want cuddles.”  
“He's _my_ friend.”  
“Jinnie sleep dances.”  
“ _You_ said I could sleep with Changbin-hyung.”  
“I just want to sleep.”

Chan gave Minho a pained smiled that suggested this was the kind of argument he heard a lot.  
“Right.” He said, deadly calm. The kids stopped fighting and looked to him with worry in their eyes. “Minho can have our bed. 2jin can share so Hyunjin gets his cuddles. Changlix in Bin's room. Jisung in with Seungmin so nobody catches cooties. Seungmin and Jeongin stay put. Happy?” Chan wasn't really asking.  
“What about you, Hyung?” Felix asked hesitantly.  
“I’ll steal someone's bed in morning once I've dropped Lix and Minnie at the Gate.”  
“Wait, what time are you going to the Gate?” Changbin leaned forward, suddenly much more focused. “I don't want to be woken up at 6am or some schist when you try and get Lixie out of bed.”

“Haha, rejected,” Jisung pointed at Felix's pout. Hyunjin hit his arm.  
“I give up,” Chan muttered, letting his head smack on the table, dangerously close to the edge of his plate. “Jinnie, your turn.”  
Woojin smiled and patted Chan's head. “Everyone in their own bed,” he announced. “Hyunjin, no tentacles and you can get cuddles. Minho you've still got our bed. Channie gets Lixie's bed when he's back from the Gate.”  
“It was that simple?” Chan moaned into the table.

Minho had expected Chan and Woojin to have a bigger bed considering they shared. A bigger room too. The single bed was shoved under a window with heavy blackout blinds and the wall at the end of the bed was covered with a rack of clothes, black at one side and slowly becoming more colourful towards the right. The only other furniture was a small set of drawers next to the bed. It was all the room could hold.  
“You _and_ Chan-hyung share this?,” Minho questioned as Woojin helped him sit on the bed and went to find him spare clothes.  
Woojin laughed. “It's more of a room share. I'm a morning person and Channie is hardly ever asleep before the sun is up so we're rarely in bed at the same time.”

“But when you are..,” Minho said suggestively, waggling his eyebrows.  
Woojin threw a t-shirt at his face. “Then Chan is the big spoon.”  
“You _know_ that's not what I meant. Still, I would have thought Chan-hyung would like being a little less in control for once. _Interesting_.”  
“For Terra's sake, you're worse than Seungmin,” Woojin said fondly. “At least that boy's still got his innocence.”  
“Ha, I doubt it,” Minho said. “He's got to be what, over 100 in Fae Years? If they party over there anything like elves do, he's seen some shit.”  
“Don't tell me that,” Woojin groaned, covering his eyes. “We're sending Seungmin and Felix to the Fairy Realm alone tomorrow. I'll be up all night, worrying about them.”

“It's their home, Hyung. And Felix goes back fairly often, right? They'll be fine.”  
Woojin leaned against the door frame and stared up at a crack in the wall as Minho slipped on the t-shirt he'd been given as makeshift pyjamas. “I know they'll be fine. I just hate the waiting. We never really know how the time is lined up and they can't call to ask for help." Woojin paused and bit his lip, deciding how much to reveal to Minho.  
"Once Lixie was gone for days so Minnie went through to find him." Woojin admitted. "Seungmin said he came back the second he was through the Gate but an hour had passed here. It was another week before Felix got home and barely any time had passed for him at all.”  
“Is it worse when they go together then?” Minho asked gently. Now Woojin wasn't putting up a front for the kids Minho could see how stressed the older man was.  
Woojin nodded. “Hopefully Sungie can find his core soon so he can check on them.”

“Jisung knows how to skinsing?” Minho asked in surprise. The young witch could barely heal minor injuries, let alone tear slits in the fabric of space.  
“Well, no,” Woojin admitted. "Hardly anyone does but I'm sure he could find someone to teach him."  
“I could teach him,” Minho offered and Woojin nearly fell through the doorway in surprise. He just caught himself on the skirting board, and the wood splintered under his grip.  
“You know how to skinsing?” Woojin asked, incredulous.  
“Yeah,” Minho said with a shrug, loving the reaction he was getting. “My grandparents invented it after all.”  
Woojin opened his mouth to protest then frowned and closed it again. He tilted his head to one side and stared at a stray sock on the floor. “Huh,” he said eventually. “I guess that makes sense.”  
He left Minho with a smile and a whispered 'goodnight’ as Hyunjin's indignant cries of cuddle betrayal echoed down the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I wrote all this before the room change episode. Life imitates art.
> 
> Also this is as far as I have written up now so updates might slow down a bit, especially because I now I have to decide on a plot before I can go any further.
> 
> Thank you for all the comments, every one makes me the little extra bit happy and motivated to write more and if you give specific feedback I will love you forever. Even if that comment is 'haha, i saw the pun'


	9. Soft and Fluffy and Alive

When Minho woke up there was something soft and fluffy tickling his chin. Soft and fluffy and alive. For half a second he thought he was back home and Soonie had snuck in to bask in the shaft of sunlight that cut across his bed. There was no sunlight though, the only light coming from the hallway through the slight opening in the door. Minho leant back to get a better look at the animal and a long ear flicked him in the face.

“Sorry, sorry,” Minho whispered, settling back down and pressing his lips to the fur between its ears in apology. “I just wanted to see what you were but I'll stay still now.”  
The animal chirped and turned to face him, pressing it's cold nose against Minho's. Large almond eyes blinked at him.  
“Jeongin?” Minho asked. If he was wrong it's not like the fox (he was pretty sure he was a fox) could tell everyone of his mistake.  
The fox chirped again and headbutted him before curling back under his chin. Minho guessed that meant he was Jeongin. Why Jeongin was a fox and in bed with him he didn't know but it probably had something to do with the _'Jisung-hyung's hogging Minho-hyung’_ he heard yesterday. Now confident he wouldn't get bitten, Minho scratched behind Jeongin's ear and settled down to doze for a bit longer.

Minho was woken again by voices in the hall.  
“I bet you 100 won i know where he is,” Hyunjin said, his voice getting louder.  
“Jinnie, you can't just-” Jisung cut himself off as Hyunjin swung open Minho's door, blinding him with light from the hall. The fox barked angrily at the disturbance and jumped up to bite Hyunjin's heels. The mer boy just scooped him up, cooing dangerously close to sharp teeth.  
“Sorry about him,” Jisung bowed to Minho slightly. “Hyunjin's allergic to personal space.”

Behind him there was a tussle and then Hyunjin was holding a very angry, very human Jeongin. Upside down.  
“Why did you have to barge in, Minho-hyung was cuddling me,” Jeongin said, wriggling out of Hyunjin's grip. He fell in a pile of limbs to the floor and stalked off out the door, grumbling. Hyunjin followed, pouting ineffectively at the maknae's back.

“Does that happen a lot?” Minho asked Jisung, sitting up and trying to tame his bedhead with his fingers.  
“Hyunjin barging in?”  
“No, Jeongin being a fox. I woke up to a fluffy animal curled against my chest.”  
“Ah. Yeah. I forgot that wasn't normal either.” Jisung grinned sheepishly. “The fox is his favourite form and he shifts around the house a lot. It's normally when he wants cuddles but he's too proud to ask for them.”  
“That's very cute,” Minho said, holding out a hand for the younger boy to help him up. Jisung rushed over and slipped an arm around Minho's waist as he stood up.

“Does it hurt?” Jisung asked as they slowly made their way to the kitchen, a room Minho hadn't seen yet.  
“My ankle?”  
Jisung nodded, steering them through a door to the right towards the noise of cooking.  
“It doesn't hurt, it just doesn't move.”

“Good morning boys,” Woojin greeted them from where he was frying meat at the hob. “Did you sleep well, Minho?”  
“I did, and I woke up to a cuddly fox which was nice too.” Minho said, hopping up on a bar stool next to Hyunjin. Jeongin grinned from his seat on the countertop and Minho smiled back.  
“Said cuddly fox should ask first before he sneaks into bed with someone,” Woojin said pointedly. Jeongin grinned at him too and Woojin ruffled his hair before focusing back on the pan.

Changbin stumbled into the room, barely conscious, and buried his face in Woojin's back.  
“Hello, Binnie Binnie,” Woojin called cutely.  
Changbin moaned and wrapped his arms around Woojin's middle.  
Minho could see where Woojin got the title of Daytime Dad. He hadn't even turned but knew exactly who it was. Maybe this was a daily occurance. 

“Is it just Channie not here?” Woojin asked the room, as he turned to plate up. There were only 4 stools in the kitchen but Minho knew by now that these boys would rather sit on each other's laps even if there were more seats.  
“Yeah,” Hyunjin replied sadly, not lifting his head from the counter. Minho had forgotten Felix and Seungmin left they morning and the second he realised he didn't know how he could have missed the huge loss of their presence.  
“They'll be back soon, Jinnie.” Jisung prodded Hyunjin's cheek, trying to force a smile out of him. “I bet they’re nearly finished already.”

“Innie, can you go see if Hyung is still awake?” Woojin asked. “If he's not sleeping yet it's better if he gets up.”  
Jeongin nodded and came back with Chan holding his shoulders like a small child on a school trip. Chan looked exhausted, more so than even that day at the café, but at the same time wide awake. Wordlessly he went and sat in the free stool opposite Hyunjin and started petting the younger boy's hair.

Woojin set breakfast down in front of them and pulled Changbin off his back to deposit the sleepy boy on top of Jisung. Changbin curled into the younger boy, only opening his eyes long enough to check the witch wasn't feeding him poison. Jeongin had crawled back onto the counter beside Chan and Hyunjin and was shamelessly stealing all their beef. Minho felt slightly out of place as he watched Woojin redistribute the food and pinch Jeongin's cheek.

“Hyung, do you like vegetables?” Hyunjin whispered to Minho. He had realised his food was disappearing right in front of his eyes and was now guarding his meat fiercely.  
“Yeah?” Minho replied.  
“Don't eat them for him,” Chan said, slowly coming back to the world as Woojin waved a strip of beef in front of his eyes. He bit the meat and chewed slowly. “Hyunjin doesn't eat enough vegetables.”  
“I do!” Hyunjin protested. “Zero vegetables is enough vegetables for a mer.”  
“The doctor disagrees,” Woojin said. _They had a mystic doctor?_  
“Dr Yoo isn't a mer, I bet he's making it up,” Hyunjin grumbled, stabbing at a green bean aggressively.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was constantly checking who I had speaking in this, sure it's left someone out. I didn't I'm just so used to ot9


	10. WARNING: WEREWOLVES

The shop wasn't open on a Sunday and everyone was trying to distract themselves from thinking.of the fae boys so Jisung got an audience as he made a fourth attempt to fix Minho's ankle.  
“Deep breaths, stay calm,” Chan murmured encouragingly as Jisung a hand on each of Minho's bare ankles. They had moved to the living room and Jisung was barricaded by beanbags on all sides to give him a soft landing should he pass out again. Woojin also had another energy drink on hand.  
“I'm calm,” Jisung said shakily. “Right mirror left?” He asked Minho.  
“Left mirror right,” Minho corrected. “I don't want two fused feet.”  
“Left mirror right, left mirror right, left mirror right,” Jisung chanted then switched to chanting in Fae for his spell. Chan didn't stop him so Minho presumed Jisung got the translation correct. As far as Minho could hear Jisung was doing a great impression of a boiling water. 

When both his ankles started to heat up hotter than before Minho knew it had gone wrong again. He jerked his feet away as the heat became unbearable and Jisung looked up in surprise.  
“Why did you move? It was working!” Jisung reached out to him, his eyes matching his hair, glowing blue. Minho flinched back. “Why-?” Jisung asked brokenly, his hands falling to his sides.

“Hands down, sweetie,” Chan said, easing Jisung away from Minho. “Let go of your magic.”  
“Huh?” Jisung said, looking around at his family staring back with worry and fear in their eyes. Jisung's eyes faded to brown as he dropped his hands to his lap. “What did I do?”

“It looks like you found your core, Sungie,” Woojin smiled at him. “Controlling it might take some more time.”  
Jisung's head whipped around. “Minho..”  
Minho's lip was white with how hard he was biting it and he gripped his shins tightly. He'd not felt pain this bad in a long time. “I'm ok, Sungie,” Minho bit out.  
Jisung reached out a shaking hand, stopping right above the blistering red handprints blossoming on Minho's skin. “That is _not_ ok, Hyung,” Jisung choked. “I didn't want to _hurt you_.”

Jisung's eyes flashed to blue again as he clenched his hand to stop himself from touching Minho's skin. Minho saw Chan and Woojin exchange a worried glance as Jisung's hair slowly stood on end as if charged by static. With a nod from Chan, Woojin took the other boys out the room, throwing Changbin over his shoulder when the dwarf didn't move fast enough. Minho heard them running down the stairs and then the front door slam. That was not a good sign.

Jisung hadn't noticed and Minho was pretty sure the charge building in the air wasn't the threat of a thunderstorm from the sunny blue skies outside.  
“Sungie baby, you have to calm down,” Chan was telling Jisung, doing his best get the witch to focus on him. Jisung just kept staring at his handprints burned into Minho's flesh.  
“I'm ok.” Minho said through gritted teeth, trying very hard to not give in to the pain and pass out.  
Jisung looked up to meet Minho’s eyes as he spoke and the lightbulb above them shattered.  
“Sungie, you have to let it go,” Chan pleaded. “You'll hurt all of us.”  
It didn't seem like Jisung even heard him as the Xbox under the TV sparked and caught on fire. Minho had a split second of warning as Chan squeezed his eyes shut before there was a hollow thud and Jisung was slumped unconscious in Chan's arms. The electricity died in the air though the Xbox kept smoking.  
“Did you knock him out?” Minho asked, his own voice echoing in his head. He hadn't seen Chan move.  
“I didn't want to,” Chan said, pulling back Jisung's hair to inspect for a cut where he had hit him. Chan was still talking but the pain from Minho’s burns was truly unbearable now and he let the darkness wash over him.

When Minho came round he had barely blinked once and Chan was hovering over him wearing a t-shirt with a hazard sign on it. Minho thought it was fitting given the mild heart attack the vampire caused. Then he read the text: ‘WARNING: WEREWOLVES’ and in little cursive letters underneath ‘are cute as hell’. He fixed Chan with an unimpressed stare as he looked up from the print.  
“What?” Chan grinned. “They are. One in particular anyway.”  
Minho rolled his eyes only because he was happy to see them so comfortable in love. He wasn’t very used to expressing positive emotion and he defaulted to sarcasm. Chan didn’t seem to mind and carefully pulled Minho upright. He was still in the living room but Jisung was nowhere to be seen.  
“How long have I been out for you to have changed clothes?” Minho asked.  
“Just a couple of hours,” Chan assured him. “I spilt blood on my other t-shirt.”  
“Where’s Jisung?”  
“In one of our therapy rooms downstairs.”  
“Conscious?” Minho asked hopefully.  
“He is now. I had to knock him out a couple more times- he boiled the fish tank.” Chan said apologetically. 

“Can I see him?” Minho asked.  
“After we check your legs. Innie raided Sungie’s potion cupboard and he’s pretty sure we gave you strong painkillers and burn cream but we should check.”  
Minho had entirely forgotten about the handprint blisters on his skin. The painkillers must have been strong then. When he looked down his ankles were well bandaged so he couldn’t see the damage.  
“Pretty sure?” Minho probed.  
“The painkillers we’re sure of. Unfortunately it gets used a lot in this household. The burn cream was labelled _‘Fuck You Too Fiery Orb’_ so it’s probably aftersun. I know he used to make one for me so it might be that? It smelled the same.”  
“That fills me with confidence,” Minho said sarcastically. He prodded at the bandages but he couldn’t feel anything through them. Whether that was the painkillers doing or the ‘aftersun’ he had no idea.

Two bodies came barreling into the room and latched onto him.  
“We heard your voice,” Jeongin said, muffled by Minho’s jumper. “Are you ok, Minho-hyung? Did the potions work?”  
“They’re working great, Jeongin. Thank you.” Minho replied, letting the maknae crawl further into his lap. Minho turned his attention to the other limbs wrapped around him. “Hyunjin?” He asked.  
“Sorry,” Hyunjin’s voice came from behind him. “I’m nervous.” The tentacles retreated.  
Minho pulled them back around him. Or he tried to. As he reached back the suckers latched onto his arms. It was an odd but not entirely unpleasant experience.  
“It’s been a hell of a day, hasn’t it?” he commented as Chan joined the huddle.  
“It’s not even lunchtime yet.” Hyunjin grumbled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone brought to my attention that I hadn't actually mentioned what Woojin was yet. If you haven't picked up on it yet- he's a werewolf.
> 
> Also BAMF!Jisung has been unlocked. May require some settings adjustments


	11. Boom

“Jinnie, are you going to be nervous if you come downstairs with us?” Chan asked. “Sungie's magic is emotion-based and I don't want you unbalance his control.”  
“I'll stay upstairs,” Hyunjin said moodily and the room filled with pops as his tentacles retreated leaving circular welts on their skin. “Cry myself a bath to swim in.”  
“Jinnie, I didn’t mean-” Chan said, reaching out to the sulking bundle of tentacles. Hyunjin had crossed not only his arms but all eight tentacles in a barrier against injustice.  
“It’s fine, Hyung.” Hyunjin rolled his eyes. “I get the whole ‘explosions to a minimum’ thing. I’ll go do homework or something.”

***

Jeongin gently knocked on the door of one of the therapy rooms, Chan behind him carrying Minho once again.  
“Come in!” Changbin called and Jeongin hesitantly entered.  
The room clearly was designed with a peaceful, relaxing vibe. All the colours were muted and there was a rustic theme with the old guitar and the palette coffee table. The soft couch would have completed the look had it not been charred and smoking. That explained why the room’s occupants were sitting on the floor but not why one of them was an 6-foot long wolf. Jisung and Changbin did look very comfortable curled up in the soft fur of his belly so maybe that was why Woojin had shifted.

“Minho-hyung!” Jisung sat up excitedly and the couch burst into flames. Judging by the scorch marks it was exactly the same place it last caught on fire. Woojin huffed out a breath in it’s direct to put them out. Minho wondered if normal wolves could makes that expression of being entirely fed up too.  
“Hi, Sungie. How are you doing?”Minho asked as Chan carefully lowered him to the ground. Woojin headbutted him towards the younger boys to make room for Chan by his head. Jeongin had also shifted and buried himself into Jisung’s arms.  
“I’m great,” Jisung said, shuffling to kept an inch of space between himself and Minho. “It’s like I’m holding my hand around an electric wire all the time and if I stop thinking about it for one second something explodes.”  
“That great, huh?” Minho said. He could tell Jisung was scared and if he didn’t want to touch Minho right now then he wouldn’t push it.  
“I’m really sorry, Hyung,” Jisung said. “I never should have tried to heal you with raw magic. I’ve only made it worse every time.”  
“That’s not true,” Minho said. “The first time you healed it. You just ran out of energy.”

“And now I have energy it’s so much better,” Jisung said sarcastically, throwing up his hands. Cracks shot across the ceiling. Minho felt his heart rate jump up and he tried not be scared of Jisung’s newfound power. At his back, Woojin’s heart rate remained slow and steady and he focused on calming to match it.  
“Ease away from it, Ji,” Chan called. “Let it go.”  
“Just knock me out again, Hyung.” Jisung said dejectedly, frowning up at his work.  
“You’re doing much better, Sungie,” Changbin assured him. “ You’ll have it under control in no time.”  
“Please knock me out?” Jisung asked. “I’m so tired of holding it down.”  
Jeongin licked his face and blinked soulfully up at the witch.  
“You shouldn’t be so close, Innie,” Jisung told the fox. “I’ll explode you.”  
The fox chirped and curled up in his lap again.  
“Boom,” Jisung whispered into his fur as he pressed a kiss between the fox's ears. Static instantly stood the fur up on end making Jeongin impossibly fluffier.  
Changbin cooed and pulled a protesting Jeongin into arms.

“If you guys are ok I'm going to head back upstairs..” Chan said and moved to get up. Woojin placed a giant paw across his lap. “Or maybe I'll stay here,” Chan amended. “I just don’t want Hyunjin to be excluded.”  
“Hyunjin’s alone upstairs?” Jisung asked scrambling to his knees to peer around Woojin in case the mer boy was hidden somewhere in the fluff. When he confirmed that Hyunjin was indeed not with them he pouted. “Jinnie will be sad all by himself.”

There was a horrible cracking sound as the fissures in the ceiling got wider and dust rained down on them. The the crack by the window grew larger, caving in on itself and there was a scream from above as Hyunjin fell through the hole. He thankfully landed on the couch, bouncing once, unharmed. The surprise of the floor suddenly opening up to swallow him had probably stopped him from tensing for the landing. Chan was immediately on his feet to catch the fridge that followed, deflecting it to smash into the coffee table instead of his child.  
“Jisung,” Chan started then he looked at the boy who was clinging to Minho’s arm, staring in shock at the fridge in a crater of debris. “Sungie, how can we help you?”

“I don’t know,” Jisung whispered brokenly. “I can’t stop it.”  
“He needs to know what controlled magic feels like,” Changbin suggested. “I had to apprentice for years before I could understand the sound of crystal structures. Chan-hyung do you know someone to teach him?”  
“Youngjae-hyung? Maybe?” Chan scrubbed his face with his hand. “I don’t think they’re in Seoul right now though and Mina’s got her own family to worry about.” Hyunjin crawled off the couch, with human legs now and curled up at Chan’s side, crunching on the dried seaweed he had been eating in the kitchen. Chan absently dusted the soot off him and accepted the food Hyunjin offered him. He turned to Woojin. “Do you know anyone?”

The wolf stretched and Changbin pulled Jisung and Minho away from him. “Watch out, he’s going to shift,” he warned and Minho closed his eyes to block out the cracking bones behind him. When it had finished Chan threw a blanket at Woojin to cover the exhausted boy, followed by an energy drink from the crumpled fridge.  
“I know a witch,” Woojin said, voice hoarse from disuse. “He won’t help though. He locked his core in a pretty gruesome way so he can live as a human.”  
“How gruesome?” Jisung asked.  
“No, Sungie.” Woojin turned to stare deeply into Jisung’s eyes. “I will never let you do that to yourself. Never. We can help you control it.”

“You said Jisung needed to feel controlled magic?” Minho asked Changbin. The dwarf nodded, frowning suspiciously. “I have controlled magic right here. The best containment spell ever made.”  
“The First Curse,” Chan gasped.  
“The First Curse,” Minho grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dun dun dun! 
> 
> Poor Sungie exploding everything. Also i really wanted Hyunjin to fall through the ceiling. I think it made the writing after that bit a bit odd but i didn't want to take it out. Just imagine Hyunjin falling through the ceiling, a sheet of seaweed stuck to his lip as he screams. He bounces, realises he's fine, continues eating seaweed. Then obviously goes in search of cuddles.  
> But I had to balance the other conversation so it didn't come out so well.


	12. Twisted truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for some ~backstory~
> 
> ...and crying

“You're cursed?” Hyunjin asked. “Who would do that- you're so nice?”  
“By the hammer, Hyunjin.” Changbin breathed out. “You live with two fae, how has the First Curse not come up once?”  
“Does this have to do with that thing last night when Felix showed you his wings?” Hyunjin asked Minho timidly. “I've messed up again, haven't I?” 

“You've done nothing wrong,” Minho assured him. He scooted him and Jisung back until they could lean against the wall and held out his free arm to Hyunjin. “Do you want me to explain it now?”  
Hyunjin nodded, crawling over with a nudge from Chan and settled against Minho's shoulder. Chan raided the fridge for snacks and dished them out before leaning against the couch with Woojin's head in his lap and Changbin under his arm. Woojin hadn't taken the effort to put clothes back on after his shift despite Minho being there and had opted to ignore his pile of clothes in favour of the blanket Chan threw at him. Jeongin, still in fox form, curled up on Woojin's chest and blinked expectantly.

“Everyone ready? Minho asked, trying to calm his nerves. They really didn't need him setting Jisung off before he'd even started.  
He got nods and an encouraging smile from Chan. Woojin might have fallen asleep.  
“Firstly, elves used to be fae,” Minho began. “So you really weren't that wrong last night Jinnie.”  
“But then the curse happened?” Hyunjin guessed, squeezing Minho's hand.  
“A lot of things happened, the curse was the final blow,” Minho said.

“Thousands of years ago the Fairy Realm was almost entirely separate from this world and many fae were very happy with it being that way.”  
“The racists,” Jisung muttered darkly.  
“It was different, Sungie,” Minho stroked Jisung's hair and the boy slid down to rest his head on Minho's thigh, frowning cutely up at Minho for his defence.  
“The skin between the worlds has always been thinner at certain times and certain places. Some fae would slip through mess with the humans. Sometimes they brought a human back for entertainment and sometimes the skin closed again before they could return and they were stuck here.”

“My grandparents and some other elves liked the humans and this world and they wanted to be able to move between the worlds better than waiting for the next time the skin got thin.” Minho paused and looked up to brace himself for the next part. 

He'd never had to explain this before. It was almost like a taboo everyone knew about. Everyone besides Hyunjin, it appeared. The sewers must have been a bad place for gossip.  
Chan nodded, giving him a sad smile. “Keep going if you can.”  
“They, uh, they came here for the witches.” Minho said. He found himself staring down at Jisung's unblinking eyes. Jisung reached up and cupped Minho's cheek. Minho could feel the sparks under his fingertips but it didn't hurt him. It was more ticklish, prodding him to continue. 

“The witches here had a lot of raw energy but it was only destructive. They didn't have any way to channel their magic.” Minho turned to check Hyunjin was keeping up. “What did you know about the Fae language, Jinnie?” he asked.  
“They can't lie.” Hyunjin said immediately. “Well, technically they can't but Minnie manages to lie to me all the time.”  
“He's twisting his truth,” Changbin said knowingly. “Lixie does it to me too. Like he knows he had my snapback last but he can say he didn't because he threw it at Jisung so technically Sungie touched it last.”  
“Yes! Minnie said he didn't know the answer to our maths homework but he had it filled in already!” Hyunjin said indignantly.  
“He's gotten that good?” Chan asked, impressed. “I'll have to stop relying on him to explain fights.”  
“You should never have relied on him in the first place,” Woojin mumbled. So he _was_ awake. “Minnie lies just to prove he can.”

“Besides the truth, do you know anything else Jinnie?” Minho prompted.  
“They can talk to plants, make them move.”  
“Good,” Minho said. “That's the important bit. Fae is the language of the earth, it speaks to every living thing so while Seungmin can't make a plant move, he can ask it to and if it wants to it might do that for him. That makes Fae a powerful language.”

“My grandparents wanted to make holes in the skin to move between the worlds but the skin isn't alive in a way that would listen to them. They needed power to force the skin to move.”  
“Witches,” Hyunjin breathed.  
“Witches.” Minho confirmed. “They came and made friends with the witches and taught them Fae so they could control their magic. In return, the witches helped create the first Gate, a permanent bridge between the worlds. That was the First Spell.”

“But the fae didn't like it,” Jeongin said. At some point he'd shifted back to human and was perched on Woojin's bare stomach, the werewolf's clothes hanging off thin frame.  
Minho laughed hollowly. “No they didn't like it at all.”  
“What did they do?,” Hyunjin whispered, holding Minho's hand tight.  
“They locked up all my ancestors,” Minho told him. “And then they stole the witches’ children.”

“I didn't know that,” Changbin said, horrified. “Why would they do that?”  
“Because witch children can't access their core,” Minho said. He hadn't even realised he was crying until tears fell from his eyes onto Jisung's face. He brushed them away but more fell, mixing with the tears from Jisung's own eyes. Jisung's eyes were glowing blue again but Minho couldn't feel the static of raw magic. There was a gasp from across the room and Minho looked up to see the fridge floating 3 feet in the air, spinning slowly.  
“Sungie, you're floating the fridge,” he whispered.  
“I know,” Jisung replied. “I had to put the magic somewhere.” The fridge didn't return to the floor but it didn't burst into flames so Minho decided it was best to keep going.

“They held the children at ransom until the witches could make a new spell- the First Curse. More than anything the fae were angry that it was their own kind that had split the skin to let the humans in so they made sure they wouldn't be betrayed again. My grandparents own work was used against them and the fae made the witches curse them to never again speak or understand Fae, the language they unlocked so much power with. Then they were banished to this world. It's a curse that runs in my blood so I will always be recognised as a traitor to the Fae.”

“You didn't do anything,” Jeongin protested. “That's not fair!” He knelt up in his anger and Woojin winced as his knees dug into his ribs. Chan pulled the shifter off his boyfriend and Jeongin ran to Minho, narrowly missing the fridge in his rush. “That's not fair,” he repeated, wiping the tears from Minho's face. “The fae use the Gates all the time now. Your grandparents helped them.”  
“I know, Jeonginnie,” Minho said. He'd come to terms with the injustice many years before. “Most fae don't think like that now but what's done is done.”  
“You should undo the Curse,” Jeongin said with determination. “You should get Jisung-hyung to break it for you.”

The fridge crashed back to the floor. “Maybe one day,” Jisung said and it sounded like a promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that's the First Curse. I'd actually written about the curse already but now you know why. Minsung are meant to be lads, its in their blood.


	13. "Jisung's stabbing me,"

“Can you focus on my pulse?” Minho asked Jisung.  
Jisung hummed affirmatively. They were sitting cross-legged in the middle of the floor and Jisung reached out to clasp Minho's wrists. The others were sitting against the wall, watching, waiting. Minho felt deja vu from that morning wash over him and sent out a silent prayer that this time his limbs would stay unharmed.  
“Ok, now reach through my skin with your magic like you did before and look for the Curse. It's in my blood.” Minho tried to remember the comforting warmth of the first few times Jisung healed him and not the searing pain of his last encounter with magic.  
Jisung closed his eyes, biting his lip to ground himself and let his magic go.

Red hot needles shot through Minho’s arms and he yelped despite his best efforts. “Less, Sungie, less!” but the pain had already receded. Jisung rubbed circles into the skin on inside of Minho’s wrist in apology and started again, managing to let just a trickle of his magic through. Minho felt it soak into his flesh, searching, and felt the second Jisung found his bloodstream. Jisung gasped as he let more magic go, running through Minho's entire body.

“It's in your head, Hyung,” he said. Minho watched his mouth open in amazement with what his was feeling. “There's tiny beads of magic in your blood but they all end up in your head. God there's so many and it pushes back when I try and touch it.”  
That explained the sudden migraine. “Can you not push it then, Sungie,” Minho suggested lightly. “My head wasn't designed for so much magic.”  
“Ah sorry Hyung,” Jisung apologised and suddenly the magic was ripped out of Minho. It felt like rug burn on the inside and he fought the urge to curl into a ball and scream.

“Fuck, Jisung,” he gasped, tearing stinging his eyes. “Not like that either.”  
“What happened?” Jeongin asked worriedly, leaning forward in Chan’s arms.  
“Jisung's stabbing me,” Minho managed to get out. Jisung's eyes were open again, bright blue and wide in panic but but he seemed to be managing to keep his magic within his body. 

“You can go again,” Minho said before Jisung could talk himself out of it. “Just move a bit slower, ok?”  
“Are you sure Minho?” Woojin asked. He tapped his nose out of Jisung's line of sight. He could smell the fear and pain rolling of Minho even when Minho schooled his expressions.  
“I'm sure,” Minho said firmly. He could handle a little pain for Jisung. It didn't take a werewolf to tell Jisung was petrified of his core magic.

Jisung's magic crept back into his veins and it soothed the burn he had left behind. He was more confident this time, following the veins in Minho's arms back to his heart where the Curse started and then speeding off throughout his body. 

Minho knew the second Jisung found his ankle burns as the magic stopped spreading and pushed back along his arteries to get to them. It made Minho feel sick as his blood stilled.  
“Sung, leave it,” he ordered, gasping for air.  
“I know what I did wrong!” Jisung protested, pushing more magic into Minho's body.

“Jisung!” Chan called. “Look at what you're doing!”  
Minho's vision had already gone black but he guessed he was deathly pale as Jisung forced all his blood to his feet.  
“Frogskin,” Jisung cursed and for half a second more magic flooded Minho's blood until Jisung got control of his emotions. Then the grip loosed and Minho could breathe again. Jisung's magic was still everywhere but now it was riding his blood instead of steering it. “Hyung?” Jisung called worriedly as the familiar warmth spread back to Minho’s head. He could probably feel that Minho wasn’t quite as alert as before.  
“I’m still here, Sungie,” Minho mumbled. It was hard work getting the thoughts from his brain to his mouth. “Now, Chan-hyung,” he called before he could regret it.

Chan cleared his throat and then spoke, foreign words bubbling from his lips. It was melodic in a way even Minho could recognise and he wondered if he was singing and if so what he was singing about.  
Jisung gasped, tightening his grip on Minho’s wrists. “Can you feel that happening?” he asked excitedly. Minho forgave the lack of honorifics this time.  
“The only magic I feel is yours, Sungie. Tell me what you feel.”

Chan stopped singing and Jisung withdrew, finally loosening his sweating grip on Minho’s wrists. Minho slid to the floor, lying on his back. It felt like he’d run a marathon through fire. Or maybe it was the other way around- fire had run a marathon through him. Jisung however was still thrumming with energy and took Minho’s hand, shaking it to keep the older boy awake.  
“The curse is in tiny beads in your blood, coming from your heart.” That much Minho had known already. “It gathers in your head but when Channie-hyung spoke Fae they, uh.” Jisung spread his free hand out from a fist in explanation.  
“Melted?” Hyunjin suggested.  
Jisung nodded. “Yeah, kind of. They all stuck together to make a bubble around your brain then it wobbled? Shook? And then when Channie-hyung stopped they went back to beads again.”  
“Do you think you can do that with your magic?” Changbin asked. “Make a bubble around your core?”  
Jisung shrugged. “I can try.”

“Are you trying now?” Chan asked weakly. His blinks were getting longer and he was resting his head on Woojin's shoulder.  
“I was going to,” Jisung shrugged. “I really don't want to bring the oven down here too.”  
“Yeah, please don't.” Woojin said. “We have a lot of meat to cook now the fridge is gone.”  
Jeongin whooped. “Barbecue!!” At least someone was seeing a positive to the impromptu renovation.  
“I think it's Channie's bed time first though,” Woojin smiled down at his boyfriend. “Hmm?”  
“I'm fine,” Chan mumbled unconvincingly.

“He got up at lunchtime yesterday,” Changbin supplied.  
“Oh, so a measly 26 hours ago?” Woojin said, raising an eyebrow at Chan.  
“I'm not tired,” Chan lied.  
“Yes you are,” Woojin said with calm fondness. He ran a finger down Chan's nose and booped the end. “Bed time.”  
“But the kids-” Chan protested.  
“- also want you to sleep and not make yourself ill by staying up worrying about them.” Woojin finished. “Isn't that right, boys?”

“Yes!” Minho joined the chorus of voices though he wasn't really one of their boys.  
“You're all traitors,” Chan grumbled but let Woojin pick him up and carry him out the room.  
“Night night, Channie-hyung!” Jeongin called cheerily, waving at the sleepy vampire. Chan waved back over Woojin's shoulder before tucking his face into Woojin's neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this scene is taking such a long time. Sorry there wasn't much of non-minsung in this chapter, they were having a moment.
> 
> Do you think Jisung will manage to cage his magic like the First Curse? If so how many kitchen appliances will be sacrificed?  
> And most importantly, will Bang Chan actually go to sleep?


	14. Full gay panic

“I'm going to try,” Jisung announced as the door clicked shut again.  
“Shouldn't you wait for Woojin-hyung?” Minho asked, weakly squeezing Jisung’s hand. Jisung squeezed back with far too much strength.  
“You should wait for Woojin-hyung,” Hyunjin agreed.  
“But he'll be ages waiting for Channie-hyung to fall asleep,” Jisung protested. “I just want to be safe to feel again.”

Minho figured he should be more assertive as the oldest in the room but he was so exhausted, every muscle refusing to even twitch from the position they were in. It was hard to be assertive when you were splayed out in the middle of the floor with half a cabbage as a pillow.

Changbin sighed, won over by Jisung's puppy dog eyes. “Fine. But if you explode something again I'm knocking you out.”  
“Is that a promise?” Jisung smiled holding out his pinkie.  
Changbin frowned at the outstretched hand from across the room. “I don't want to promise to hurt you, Sungie,” he said.  
“Promise,” Jisung insisted.  
Changbin got up and crossed distance between them in two quick strides, ignoring Jisung's waiting hand and kneeling down to pull the younger boy into a tight hug. “Why can't I protect any of you, huh?” He cradled Jisung’s head in to his chest. “ I'm supposed to be your Hyung.”

“We're adults, Hyung,” Jisung said, slipping his hand out of Minho's grip to pat Changbin on the back. “We can look after ourselves.”  
Minho thought that was doubtful considering the chaos caused by Jisung and Felix within the first 10 minutes of him meeting them.  
“You're barely 19, Sung,” Changbin reminded him.  
“Oh, Terra help me,” Minho thought. “He's basically a child.”  
“You’re only just over legal for a dwarf too.” Jisung protested.  
“I'm a decade older!”

“38-19 is not 10!” Jeongin piped up.  
“Not helpful, Innie,” Changbin cooed. Jeongin pulled a disgusted face and Hyunjin giggled.  
“If you want to use actual ages then Felix and Minnie are way older than you,” Jisung told Changbin, pulling back to grin smugly at him.  
“That doesn't count, they don't measure time the same.” Changbin argued.  
“Minho-hyung does,” Jisung said. Then his brain caught up to what he'd said. “Hyung?” he asked hesitantly.

“Hmm?” Minho answered, his eyes still shut.  
“How old are you?”  
“187” Minho said reluctantly.  
“Years?” Jisung squeaked.  
“No, watermelons.” Minho opened his eyes and sat up with difficulty, Changbin lending a supporting hand. “Yes years.”  
Jisung avoided his gaze, chubby cheeks turning red and behind him the couch caught fire again, burning more fiercely than before.

“I can't believe Channie-hyung thought I was the risk,” Hyunjin grumbled, dragging Jeongin away from the flames. There was an ominous thud from inside the back of the fridge and Changbin nodded for the youngest two boys to leave.  
“We’ll get the Hyungs!” Jeongin called, as Hyunjin pushed him out the door.

“Great, he’s in full gay panic,” Changbin muttered to himself.The pallet ex-table under the fridge started smoking,vaporizing whatever the hell was leaking from the fridge cooling system. “Deep breaths isn’t going to fix that.”  
“This isn’t a gay panic!” Jisung said, clearly panicking. His shaking fingers were pressed against his chest, fluffy blue hair standing on end above piercing blue eyes blown wide.  
“Looks like a gay panic to me,” Changbin retorted, stroking Jisung’s hair comfortingly only to have it spring back up the second he stopped. “Don’t worry about it, you’re both immortal he can’t be too old for you.”  
The flames on the couch grew higher and the fridge door flew off at incredible speed, burying itself in the wall.  
“I don’t think you’re helping, Changbin,” Minho observed.

“Well reason worked last time.” Changbin said, not shying away at Jisung display of raw power. “Jisung’s gay panics aren't normally equipped with the power of a small sun.”  
“Stop!” Jisung called out, clutching at his chest as if to stop the magic breaking free. “Stop, just stop!” He screamed, piercing like a bell and a force punched Minho, throwing him across the room.

When Minho looked up Changbin and the fridge had also been relocated. A 2 feet clear zone now surrounded Jisung, the outline shimmering blue.  
“I don't think it worked,” Jisung whispered. He crawled towards Changbin and his bubble moved with him, pushing the couch against the wall. On the positive side, the shock wave had seemed to have extinguished the flames.

The door burst open and Chan rushed forward only to violently rebound off Jisung's shield into Woojin's arms.  
“You made a bubble with your magic not around your magic,” Woojin observed, unphased as ever.  
“Yeah,” Jisung said dejectedly. “I got the word wrong.” He slumped to the floor and kicked at the barrier which molded to his foot, not letting him break it. His pout started to wobble and he lay back on the floor covering his face with his arms as he let out a sob. The bubble grew.

“Oh, Sungie,” Chan said sadly, reaching out towards him despite having just being thrown by the bubble. “Please don't cry when I can't reach you, it breaks my heart.”  
“Go away,” Jisung wailed. “Everyone go away.”

“I think it's better if we stay,” Woojin said calmly. He steadied Chan on his feet before crossing the room the the guitar propped in the corner. Minho hadn’t noticed that it had gone unscathed throughout the chaos. Perhaps Jisung had more control than he thought. Hyunjin skipped over to Minho, helping him sit up against the wall.  
“How are your burns, Hyung?” Hyunjin whispered when Minho moved his leg wrong and winced.  
“Burning,” Minho said shortly. “I think the potions have worn off.  
“I’ll go get more,” Jeongin said, getting up from Hyunjin’s other side. “I’ll be right back,” he whispered and ran out the room.

“Any requests?” Woojin asked, setting the guitar on his thigh.  
“I don’t need one of your therapy songs,” Jisung sniffed from inside his bubble.  
“Don’t request one then,” Woojin replied.  
“I want _Lost Stars_ ,” Jeongin said, hurrying back into the room. Chan had unwrapped Minho’s ankles and he held out his hand for the potions.

 _“Lost Stars_ , huh?” Woojin said ruefully. “You know I’ve not warmed up, Innie.”  
“You can do it, Hyung. Fighting!” Jeongin said, handing off the potions and settling down against the wall between Hyunjin and Changbin. Woojin glanced at Jisung who still had his arms over his face, though the tears seemed to have died down.  
“Have you got a better idea, Sungie?” he asked.  
“I want _Lost Stars_ too,” Jisung said, moving his arms to blink his watery puppy eyes at Woojin.  
Woojin sighed. _“Lost Stars_ it is. You guys have to help though.” He started strumming.

Minho bit his lip as Chan spread the cool salve across his burns. He nodded for Chan to continue when he flinched and tried to focus on Woojin’s calming vocals.  
“That’s the painkiller,” Chan whispered. “I’ll put on the aftersun when it dries.”  
Minho nodded, too distracted by the song. Woojin paused and Minho held his breath waiting for the chorus.  
“Go Hyung!” Hyunjin cheered and Woojin started up again with a smile, hitting a clear falsetto with ease. He stumbled on the second line and a quieter voice Minho hadn’t even heard before took over. He gasped and Chan looked up with a smile.  
“He’s good, isn’t he?”  
Minho didn’t reply, staring at Jinsung in amazement as the young boy confidently sang his heart out, hitting high notes perfectly even while lying down. Woojin joined back in, quieter this time, with Jeongin and Hyunjin swaying together. Chan started the harmony and Woojin modulated to fill out the song.  
Minho looked across to Changbin, needing someone to agree how surreal this was. Changbin grinned proudly, nodding along to the beat.

With one final chord the song ended. Jisung’s bubble had faded and he sighed, stretching his hands above his head to squeeze Woojin’s foot, the only part of him he could reach.  
“Thanks, Hyung.”  
“Anytime, Sungie,” Woojin said, putting the guitar aside to gather Jisung in his arms. “Anytime.”  
“Sorry I wrecked your work room,” Jisung mumbled.  
“It needed a new paint job anyway,” Woojin replied. “And you saved my guitar despite lodging the fridge in two separate walls.”  
“Sorry,” Jisung said again.  
“It’s nothing we can’t fix,” Chan assured him. “And as Innie said- barbecue tonight!!”

“Are you going to still be awake tonight, Hyung?” Hyunjin asked.  
“Who else is going to eat all the meat?” Chan asked. With a glare from Woojin he rolled his eyes. “I’ll try and nap first though.”  
“Can I nap with you too?” Jisung asked shyly.  
“Have you tired yourself out, baby?” Chan smiled. “Of course, I’d love Sungie naps.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is both earlier and longer than I planned. I 100% blame Woojin's cover of Lost Stars. Why we don't have a full version yet I don't understand.
> 
> Also, it's entirely my fault but I miss Felix and Seungmin from this story. I need to speed this up to get them back.


	15. Is that a challenge, Tentacle Boy?

Before he let himself get carried off to bed, Jisung reached out a grabbing hand to Minho. Minho look at him questioningly but shuffled over, wary not to put pressure on his semi-healed ankle or stretch the skin of his burns.  
“I just wanna-,” Jisung reached out one hand from the safety of Woojin’s embrace and lightly touched Minho’s injured ankle before anyone could stop him, eyes flashing blue for a second. Minho felt the heat and the bones in his ankle shifted in a numb, painless way like cracking a knuckle.  
“Fixed it,” Jisung sighed in relief. “Finally.” He smiled proudly and Minho reached up to gently squish his rounded cheeks.  
“I knew you could do it, Sungie,” he said.  
“No more,” Woojin scolded lightly, handing the young witch off to Chan to got get some well-needed rest. The vampire looked far too alert to be going to bed but it was likely only the adrenaline of the day’s events keeping him going. Cuddling what was effectively a live bomb probably wouldn’t relax most people but in the few days Minho had known Chan it was clear he lived a life far beyond normal.

Minho experimentally rolled his ankle. It was as good as new, minus the rapidly healing burns. They’d probably leave faint handprint scars but Minho didn’t mind that. In a weird way it would be his reminder of Jisung and the very important day he unlocked his core magic. With his ankle healed he should probably go. Chan and Woojin had been very kind to let him stay but it was a turbulent time for their family and he didn’t want to overstay his welcome.

“Can you get the door, Minho?” Woojin asked, jolting Minho out of his thoughts. Woojin was holding the fridge as far away from his body as possible, the exertion barely showing on his face. Behind him Jeongin was throwing cheese up through the ceiling with enthusiasm. Giggles echoed down from the kitchen as tentacles reached out to ensnare the food. They all missed and there was a thud from above as the cheese shot past Hyunjin. Plaster dust rained down on onto those in the therapy room from the cracks above. Minho wanted to believe Hyunjin had got back to the kitchen by civilised means but he had a suspicion the Mer boy had left the room much the same way he had arrived, though power-assisted this time by a certain well-muscled dwarf.

Minho opened the door for Woojin, standing back as the werewolf rushed through with the leaky fridge and darted past him again to open the front door of the shop too. Woojin dropped the fridge unceremoniously on the curb and looked up and down the street.  
“Hopefully nobody saw that,” Woojin said, patting Minho on the back with a little too much force and heading back inside. Minho hesitated. He could go now and be back to his flat before dark. There’d be time to do his pile of laundry too before the work week started again. But it would be rude to just leave without thanking them and he could help them tidy up a bit before he left. He sighed and followed Woojin back inside.

There was what Minho hoped was tomato juice splattered across the walls when he got back but it looked like all the other food from the fridge had made it back to the kitchen.  
“So, can we take the fridge door out the wall Binnie?” Woojin asked. Jeongin had gathered the broken pallet wood and was was just throwing it out the window in the general direction of the bins. It didn’t sound like he had good aim.  
“No!” Changbin said quickly. “That says in the wall until I can replace the support strut it broke.”  
“It’s an innovative new shelf design,” Jeongin said cheerfully, launching the next plank with a quiet 'nyoom!'. The fridge door was upside down and regardless would definitely not be used as a shelf considering it was quite literally stopping the house falling apart.  
Changbin ignored him. “The ceiling is in better shape though. The rest of it is quite stable and shouldn’t fall." He gestured vaguely at the latice of cracks above them. "A couple of planks across the beams and some plaster and it’ll be as good as new.”  
“Shouldn’t fall,” Woojin echoed sceptically. “Hyunjin, you’re banned from the kitchen!” Woojin called up through the hole.

“Boo!” Hyunjin called back and swung through the hole into Woojin’s arms, narrowly missing strangling himself on a dangling wire. Woojin stumbled back in surprise but didn’t drop him.  
“Woojin-hyung will always catch me,” Hyunjin told Minho proudly.  
“Not if you keep pulling stunts like that I won’t,” Woojin grumbled, setting him down.  
“You will,” Hyunjin said confidently and skipped over to help Jeongin make a mess of the back yard. 

Woojin sent Changbin upstairs to hash together a flooring solution for the kitchen while he and Minho negotiated getting the remains of the couch out to the street. It didn’t help matters that the springs inside were searing hot and had a tendency to bounce free of their stuffing prison whenever the boys were trying to turn a corner. 

With half a fridge, what was once a couch and the charred pallet wood relocated from it’s spread across the back garden, it was clear to anybody walking down the street that something spectacular had occurred inside 3RACHA on that dull Sunday. Minho hoped bypassers would file the damage under ‘kids these days’ rather than ‘untamed magical outburst’.

“I should probably-” Minho started, pointing vaguely up the street in the direction of his flat.  
“Nope!” Jeongin cut him off gleefully pulling him back inside. “You're staying for barbecue. Also you can't leave before Lix-hyung and Seugminnie-hyung get back. They're getting strawberries especially.” He grinned slyly, knowing Minho couldn't possibly say no now.  
“I have work in the morning though,” Minho protested weakly. “And you have school!”

“Yeah. In the _morning,_ Hyung,” Hyunjin joined in. “It's like 3pm. Live a little, let me beat you at Mario Kart.”  
“Is that a challenge, Tentacle Boy?” Minho grinned.  
“So what if it is, Old Man?” Hyunjin replied, narrowing missing walking into the wall as he turned to wink at Minho.  
Woojin steered him into the living room. “Play nice and don't be too loud- there's people sleeping. I'm going to start on the barbecue and you're all banned from the kitchen.”

“I can help cook,” Minho offered, ignoring Hyunjin's pout at his betrayal. Minho hadn't picked up many skills over the years beside honing his dancing but cooking was at least one thing he prided himself on.  
“It's not that I don't trust you Minho.” Woojin assured him. “It's the gaping hole in the floor I'd rather nobody else fell through.”  
“I'd forgotten about that,” Jeongin said, starting up the TV.  
“Bitch I nearly _died,”_ Hyunjin wailed dramatically.  
“Yeah, well, you didn't,” Jeongin replied, already focused on the game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey sorry it's been a while, my head's been a little left of centre. I've been on holiday though to visit friends and I'm feeling more awake than I have in months :) I can't promise updates will pick up again but this story is still happening. I hope you enjoyed this minorly chaotic filler chapter


	16. Cow?

Minho felt his heart flip when Chan and Jisung joined them for dinner straight from their nap. Chan was much as he was the previous day, uncoordinated and subdued. Woojin served him a steak that was definitely closer to raw than cooked, thoughtfully already cut into squares, and Chan gnawed absently at them, his tongue darting out to lap the blood dripping down his chopsticks. Jisung was grumpy as hell with quite possibly the fluffiest hair Minho had ever seen. Changbin didn’t help Jisung’s mood by teasing the younger boy for his frown. Jisung sat in his lap in retaliation and opened his mouth wide like a baby bird demanding food.

“Why would I feed you?” Changbin asked. “It’s my food.”  
Jisung’s frown deepened and he stuck his chin out further.  
“Ok, ok!” Changbin relented, giving Jisung some meat. He patted Jisung’s hair down as the young witch chewed, humming contentedly. “Is that better?” he cooed.  
“Cows taste so goooood,” Jisung mumbled sleepily.  
“That’s chicken,”Jeongin pointed out.  
“Chickens taste so goooood,” Jisung corrected, letting Changbin push him onto the free chair next to him. 

He turned to Minho who was now next to him and blinked sleepily. Minho wondered if Jisung had forgotten who he was as Jisung just stared. “Min-hyung?” he slurred eventually.  
“Yeah?” Minho replied. He was trying to ignore the stares from Hyunjin and Changbin that Jisung was oblivious to.  
Jisung opened his mouth to speak again but his frown returned as he lost his train of thought. Minho fought a smile and lifted his loaded chopsticks to rest on Jisung’s lower lip in invitation. Jisung readily accepted the food. “Cow?” he asked around his mouthful.  
“Yes Sungie, that’s beef.” Minho told him.  
“Told you cows taste good,” Jisung called to Jeongin, pointing a lazy finger at him.  
“I’ll note that down,” Jeongin replied sarcastically.

Minho knew he should stop feeding Jisung but he'd discovered that when the witch had too much in his mouth he stored the excess in his cheeks. Minho was enthralled.  
“Eat more, Sungie,” Hyunjin called teasingly. “It’s a BBQ in your honour.”  
“I'm gonna choke!” Jisung choked.  
“Weak,” Jeongin cackled, swallowing a large piece of chicken in one bite. 

Chan and Woojin were either too tired to care or unconcerned by the health hazard that posed so Minho chose not to comment on it. Instead he offered Jisung a glass of water and promised himself to stop showing his favouritism so blatantly. He was about to pass the chicken up the table to Woojin when he felt a buzzing in his pocket.  
“My manager's calling,” Minho said numbly. His normal life felt a million miles away and while he was still in Seoul he didn't quite believe the call would go through.  
“You can answer,” Chan said. “We'll be quiet or you can go to the hall.”

“Hello?” Minho said, digging the fingers of his free hand into his thigh to clear the happy haze from his mind.  
_“Minho, we need you to come in early tomorrow. The formation's been changed and we need you to learn it before we start practice with the boys. Be here and ready to go at 6am. You know the drill.”_  
Tomorrow. Minho's focus shifted slightly as the words sunk in and Jeongin's big eyes blinked at him across the table. All this would be over and gone by tomorrow.  
“Yes sir, understood.” Minho replied, tearing his eyes away from Jeongin.  
_“Good, see you tomorrow.”_ The call cut off before Minho could reply and he shoved the phone back in his pocket.  
“I have to be at work early tomorrow,” he said, avoiding eye contact. “It's probably best if I go now, thank you for your hospitality.” He bowed slightly to Chan and Woojin. Chan looked disappointed and Woojin was staring at him with such intensity Minho was half convinced he was reading his mind.

Hyunjin tugged at his arm before he could stand. “You can't leave yet. Seungmin and Felix aren't back. Minnie said he'd be back in time for school- they'll be back any minute.”  
“They might be a while yet, Jinnie,” Changbin said gently. “It’s out of their control.”  
“No!” Hyunjin exploded and Jisung flinched back in shock, wobbling on his seat. “If they’re not back in like the next 10 minutes then that means that horrible feeling I’ve had all day has been about them and not Sungie’s magic.” There were tears in Hyunjin’s eyes and Jeongin clasped his shaking hand in his.  
“What horrible feeling, Hyung?” Jeongin asked quietly. “Is it like the time you predicted the World Cup?”  
Minho was at a loss there but he figured now was not the time to ask. Jisung was holding his hands in fists on the table and when Minho glanced across at him his soft blue hair was beginning to rise again.  
“Yeah, it feels like that,” Hyunjin said. “And that time I said not to eat the Chow Mein.”

“Hey now, don’t start panicking over nothing,” Chan soothed as Woojin pulled Hyunjin into his side. “The Chow Mein probably just had different chemicals you could sense that we couldn’t and you read all the stats for that World Cup. It’s not surprising you could guess the outcome.”  
“It wasn’t guessing,” Hyunjin said with conviction. “And I’m telling you something is _wrong._ Minnie and Lix should be home.”

“They’ll be home soon,” Woojin assured him. “We just have to be patient. There’s nothing we can do from here.”  
“I could skinsing?” Jisung offered. His chopsticks were glowing red hot in his hand and he was slowly burning a hole through the table without realising it.  
“No!” his hyungs shot the idea down unanimously.  
“But then we could know if Seungminnie and Lix are ok!” Jisung protested  
“Sungie, you’re brand new to core magic.” Minho tried to reason with him. “I’m not going to teach you how to rip the fabric of space and time. It’s too dangerous right now.”  
“But Minnie and Lix might already be in danger!” Hyunjin said.  
“It’s not happening.” Woojin said firmly. He sent a firm look at Jisung and the witch bowed his head in defeat, his magic dimming.

“Minho, if you need to leave now might be a good time,” Woojin said with a tense smile. “Of course, you’re welcome to stay.”  
“I should go,” Minho said reluctantly. He rubbed Jisung’s back and stood up. “It was lovely to meet you all and thank you for being so kind to me,” He bowed shyly. “Bye.”  
There was a quiet chorus of ‘bye’s in return and Jisung looked up at him with the saddest pout and electric blue eyes. Minho tried to remember what he looked like smiling and not think about which kitchen appliance those eyes were setting on fire.

“Can you come back tomorrow, Hyung?” Jeongin asked hopefully. “After school? So you can try the fae food.”  
“I’ll try Innie,” Minho didn’t want to make any promises he couldn’t keep. “I might not be finished work until very late.”  
“That’s ok,” Jeongin smiled brightly. “Channie-hyung is always up late anyway.”  
Minho didn’t know how to answer that so he busied himself zipping up his hoodie. It wasn’t even his hoodie, it was Chan’s. Solid black and too big for his shoulders, smelling of a home that wasn’t his.  
“I’ll walk you to the door,” Chan offered and lead the way down the stairs. Minho followed with a final wave and the heavy weight of regret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry that got a little to sad at the end. The start was so cute and funny- why does this always happen when I try to plot?
> 
> Side note: who remembers Paul the Octopus? or am I showing my age by having that reference?  
> Is Hyunjin physic? Has something gone wrong in the Fae Realm? And who does Minho think he is prioritising his career over a bunch of strays he met yesterday? The shame.


	17. Teenage rebellion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad to hear the Paul the Octopus got the international recognition he deserved. Was Paul really psychic though and is Hyunjin?

Minho walked home in what felt like no time at all, his feet leading the way while his mind drifted somewhere else. He did his laundry on the fastest cycle and packed his bag for the next day. He opened Netflix looking for something to pass the time but not even the bright cartoons could hold his attention. It was past 2am and he was zoned out, tracing the burn scars on his ankles by the faint light of his phone when a knock at his window startled him into the present.

“Woojin?” Minoh asked incredulously as he helped the older boy climb into the room. “How the hell did you get here?”  
“We really need to get your number,” Woojin panted. “I tracked you from our place. Jisung-” He broke off to catch his breath and Minho’s heart stopped. _What about Jisung? Had he got hurt with his magic? Had he hurt one of the other boys?_  
“Jisung googled how to skinsing,” Woojin said, sitting on Minho’s bed and pushing his damp hair off his forehead. He looked exhausted.  
“That shit’s on the internet?” Minho said horrified.  
“We don’t know,” Woojin admitted. “Jisung found _something_ and we don’t know if it’s right but he's going to try anyway. He put up his bubble again so Channie can’t stop him this time..”

“It’s ok. It’s ok Hyung, I’ll help,” Minho said, handing Woojin a water bottle. The werewolf gulped the water down. Some missed his mouth and droplets ran down his neck to his already sweat-soaked shirt.  
“Did you run here?” Minho asked.  
“Yeah, your trail was pretty easy to follow to start with since I knew it would head towards that cafe. It was the last bit that wore me out. I got to your apartment block and I couldn’t follow your scent inside. This is the fourth fire escape I’ve climbed.”  
“I think we’ll take the lift back down,” Minho said lightly.  
“Sounds like a good plan,” Woojin huffed, pushing himself to standing. They didn’t have time to waste.

Jeongin met them halfway down the side street to 3RACHA, haloed in the streetlight.  
“How’s it going?” Woojin asked him, not slowing their jog.  
“Hyung fried Channie-hyung’s laptop but I don’t think he’s tried the spell yet.” Jeongin said, running the last distance with them with much more bounce in his step.  
“That’s good,” Minho said. “Even if he does have the right spell there’s so much that can go wrong.” Minho tried not to dwell of the possibilities.

“Sorry for dragging you back,” Chan said apologetically when he saw Minho. He was sitting at the table, leg bouncing in worry. “We didn’t know what else to do.”  
“I came willingly,” Minho said with a tired smile. “I hear you're suffering from a teenage rebellion.”  
“That's one way to put it,” Chan grumbled. “I just had an emo phase but _no_ Sungie has to go looking for instructions to tear apart the universe on Reddit.”  
“To be fair you can find almost anything on Reddit,” Jeongin piped up.  
“I should have let him go to that rap battle,” Chan rubbed his temples. 

Minho cautiously pushed open the door to Changbin and Jisung's room, not knowing what he would find. Changbin and Hyunjin were huddled on what Minho presumed was Changbin's bed. The sheets were black but whatever brooding vibe Changbin was going for was offset by the colourful plushies standing to attention at the foot of his bed.

Jisung's side of the room was significantly messier though Minho couldn't tell if that was the result of loose magic or not. Jisung's bubbled shimmered 2 feet around him but didn't seem to be actively pushing everything from its path like it had before. The witch crouched on his bed facing his friends, a scowl etched into his face.

“Hiya Sungie,” Minho greeted him quietly.  
“If you're only back to stop me blowing the house up you shouldn't have bothered- the ceiling's still intact.” Jisung growled, not looking at him.  
“I'm back because Woojin told me you were going to try something dangerous and I don't want you to get hurt.” Minho said, sitting down next to Hyunjin in the hope that Jisung would meet his eyes if Minho came into his line of sight. Jisung sulkily turned to the window.

“So _I'm_ not allowed to get hurt but we're just going to leave Felix and Seungmin to whatever the fuck has them trapped in the Fae Realm?” Jisung said.  
“I didn't say that,” Minho soothed. “What magic are you trying?”  
“The guy on Reddit said I had to feel for Minnie and Lix's aura and then grab it but I've found fuck all.” Jisung grumbled. “Maybe they're already dead.” He mumbled darkly.

“Don't say that! _Please,_ don't say that,” Hyunjin cried. “They have to be ok.”. His tentacles were back and Changbin let him crawl into his lap, whispering consoling words in the mer boy's ear as he got compressed on all sides by strong limbs.  
“That guy on Reddit was talking a load of shit,” Minho said, pushing down his anger. “There's way more to it than that.”  
“Don't rub it in,” Jisung muttered and his bubble grew making Changbin pull his legs back. “I'm just trying to save my friends.”

“I know, Sungie,” Minho placated him. He sighed. “If you're really serious about this I'll teach you how to-”  
“You'll teach me?” Jisung gasped, his bright eyes shining as he looked hopefully at Minho.  
“Yes, I'll teach you to skinsing,” Minho confirmed, his chest warming with smug satisfaction that he had been the only person to get Jisung out of his funk. “But you have to understand that it's really difficult and you might not get it to work.”  
“I can do it,” Jisung said with such conviction Minho believed he could do it on willpower alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Minho was gone for like not even half a day, y'all can stop being sad.


	18. Your <i>face</i> is trippy

They all sat around the dining table nursing mugs of coffee as Minho tried to explain the theory of skinsinging to Jisung. There was certainly more to it than Reddit would have you believe.

Woojin had made half an attempt to get Jeongin and Hyunjin to sleep considering they had school in a matter of hours. Jeongin had fixed him with a stare so powerful Woojin held up his hands immediately, offering to call them in sick. 

“Have you ever been in a cave, Sungie?” Minho asked.  
Jisung shook his head. “I've always lived in the city.”  
“Ok,” Minho said slowly. He bit his lip as he tried to come up with another example Jisung might know. All the ones taught to young elves reflected the forest they grew up in but Minho didn't think Jisung would have much knowledge there either. “Ok, you've been down to the river, right?”  
Jisung nodded. “Lots. And I've been to the sea with Hyunjin if that's helpful.”  
“Not unless you were in a boat,” Minho said. “But the river should be fine if you paid enough attention.”

Jisung's smile faltered. “Chan-hyung says I don't pay enough attention,” he mumbled.  
“That’s when I'm trying to explain something to you,” Chan said. Jeongin's fox form was curled around his shoulders, giving him a regal appearance like he was offering divine wisdom to his peasants. “You're really good at noticing things on your own,” Chan pointed out. Jisung remained unconvinced. 

“When you're by the river can you feel the river even when you're not looking at it?” Minho asked. Jisung looked confused. “Or if you are looking at it can you sense how deep it is and how much water is moving even if you can't see the bottom or see any rapids?”  
Jisung's eyes lit up. “Yes! I'm terrified of deep water!” He said excitedly.  
Minho laughed. “That's not what I was getting at but at least you know the feeling.”

“Sensing the skin is kind of like that,” Minho explained. “It's the barrier to the Fae Realm which is massive and never stays relative to this realm but the skin's not quite a physical thing you can sense normally.”

“Woah,” Hyunjin said. “That's kind of trippy.”  
“Hyunjin your legs dissolve and split into four when you're nervous,” Changbin retorted. “Your existence is trippy.”  
“Your _face_ is trippy,” Hyunjin shot back.  
“My face will cut you,” Changbin challenged, jutting out his chin.  
“Annnnd that's enough coffee for both of you,” Woojin cut in, taking their cups away.

“So I have to feel for like a giant river hiding in the air?” Jisung said sceptically.  
“Yeah,” Minho said apologetically. “It feels a bit like magic if that helps?”  
“And then what?” Jisung asked “Punch it?”  
“No!” Minho said. “That might make a Gate. You need a permit for that.”  
“A license and a permit,” Chan clarified. “The council would arrest you immediately. Please don't make a Gate.”

Jisung grinned, finally getting an idea of how much power he held. “If they could stop me.”  
“They'd take you down in an instant- they have witches too,” Woojin said.  
“How would _you_ know?” Changbin scoffed.  
Woojin said nothing and his eyes flicked across to Chan. Chan's lips twitched in a ghost of a smile.  
“Oh my god, Hyung's been arrested!” Hyunjin gasped. Jeongin fell off Chan's shoulder in shock, slipping back to his human form. He gave a small yelp of pain, rubbing at his elbow before shaking his head and shifting back.

Woojin didn't deny Hyunjin's claim.  
“You have!” Hyunjin crowed. “I can't believe you act like you're so sensible but you've been arrested.”  
“Can we get back to the skinsinging now?” Woojin said gruffly and Hyunjin reached over to pinch his cheeks.  
“Big bad wolf was arrested~” he sang, only to squeal and dart away when Woojin turned his gaze on him.

“So _not_ punching the skin?” Jisung asked, trying to school his expression so Woojin didn't notice he was laughing too.  
“You have to grab it,” Minho told him.  
“Grab the ghost-air-river?” Jisung asked.  
“I told you it was hard. And you don't grab it with your hands, you grab it with your mind.”  
“Of course!” Jisung cried sarcastically. “Changbin-hyung, I grab it with my mind!” he said dramatically, holding out a hand to the boy opposite to him for a reaction.  
“The only logical solution,” Changbin agreed.

“Ok,” Jisung said, serious again. “Once I have grabbed the ghost-air-river with my mind, then what?”  
“Then you sing in Fae to twist the skin to bring Felix’ and Seungmin's part of the Fae Realm closest to this part of this one. The twisting makes it just thin enough for you to speak through it to them.” Minho outlined the final step. 

The theory was one thing but to actually achieve it took the first witches months. Minho didn't want to crush Jisung's hopes by telling him and as much as anybody else he wanted Felix and Seungmin to be home safe. They had gone to the Fae Realm for him and he couldn't face the guilt if anything happened to the bright young boys because of him.

“What should I be singing exactly?” Jisung asked, taking this surprisingly well.  
“Sing about what the boys mean to you, what makes them unique. Your magic should do the rest.”  
“What if I get the words wrong?” Jisung asked, clearly still shaken from his mistake with Minho's ankle.  
“That won't matter so much this time,” Minho said. “It's a song not a command so your feelings are more important.”

“Can I rap?” Jisung asked, eyebrows furrowed in worry. “Instead of singing.”  
“You want to rap?” Minho was dumbfounded.  
“Yeah?” Jisung said nervously. The lightbulb above them flickered. “It's easier to freestyle a rap.”  
Minho gaped at him, suddenly reminded that he had no idea what this boy was capable of. 

“That's my boy,” Chan said dramatically, wiping away a nonexistent tear.  
“It'll work,” Changbin assured Minho, smirking. “You should have heard his rap last week about cheesecake. It was like a Jane Austen novel on speed.”  
“She had so much left to give this world!” Jisung wailed.  
“Not that I would know anything about speed or Jane Austen,” Changbin quickly correctly as Chan sent him a withering look.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not very happy with the end of this chapter but I have the next written out so I really need to just post this and get on with it


	19. FROG. SKIN.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm nearly done lads. Just wait until I remember the ending I had planned for this way back in January. Once I remember, oh boy.
> 
> Also Jisung is going to swear in this chapter. A lot. He's had a long day, can you blame him?

“I can’t feel shit, Minho-hyung.” Jisung growled, kicking at the table leg. He’d been focusing hard for a whole 5 minutes. “Are you sure there’s a river everywhere?”  
“It’s not a river, it’s the skin,” Minho corrected.  
“Whatever the fuck it is, I can’t feel shit!” Jisung yelled.  
“ _Jisung_ ” Chan said sternly as the table spontaneously burst into flames “Control your anger.”  
“FROG. SKIN.” Jisung yelled with aggressive attitude at him.  
“You can swear this time,” Chan replied calmly as Hyunjin put out the table with his glass of water. “But channel your frustration into productivity.”  
Water dripped off the table, filling the silence as Jisung took a deep breathe.  
“Fuck your _fucking_ therapy talk, I’m trying to find a fucking _invisible river_ with my mind that's _apparently_ just _floating_ about the place, defying the fucking _laws of physics_ and holding two halves of the _universe_ apart and I can’t even do fucking algeb- Oh I found it,” Jisung said, voice suddenly very small.

“Good job, Sungie!” Changbin cheered quietly.  
Jisung stared blankly past him.  
“Can you hold it, Sungie?” Minho asked gently. “Reach out with your magic.”  
Jisung’s eyes closed and he reached out with his hand for something only he could see.  
“It’s too slippery,” he said, changing tact from one hand to trying to trap the skin between his palms like a pesky fly.  
“Not with your hands, Sungie,” Minho reminded him. “With your mind.”  
“Try-” Hyunjin lifted a tentacle and stuck it to Changbin’s face. Changbin brushed him off, wiping at his cheek to no avail as a red welt bloomed.  
“Mind suckers?” Jisung asked.  
“Mind suckers.” Hyunjin confirmed, waving his tentacles in encouragement. 

_***_  
“Fuckity fuck fuck!” Jisung slammed the table as his mind suckers slipped off the skin once more. It woke Changbin from his nap and he blinked sleepily before settling again against Woojin’s chest.  
“I’m just going to stab it next time.” Jisung said, holding his hands straight like knives to defeat his invisible enemy.  
“Again, that would make a Gate, very illegal,” Chan reminded him.  
“Just a light stabbing,” Jisung bargained, jabbing the air in demonstration.  
“No.”  
“But just like, really small. Baby stab.”  
“No stabbing, Jisung.” 

*** 

“Okokok, Min-hyung what’s next, quick!” Jisung said, body locked in place, eyes wide. Everyone perked up at his cry, the first he’d said anything in over an hour.  
“Sing- I mean, rap- about Felix and Seungmin. Focus your energy into the skin,” Minho said.  
“Shit,” Jisung said dejectly opening his eyes and lowering his hands. “I lost it.”  
“You’re doing good, Sungie,” Hyunjin told him, pulling him into a tight hug. “The bestest witch I’ve ever met”  
“That’s a lie,” Jisung said, hugging him back.  
“No, you are the bestest,” Hyunjin said firmly and kissed his head. 

“I'm going to try again,” Jisung said reluctantly. He pulled back to get Hyunjin to let go but the other boy merely turned to the side to hug him from a less restrictive angle. “Jinnie, I need my hands,” Jisung called, then he stopped trying to wiggle free and frowned. “Actually, Minho-hyung do I need my hands?” 

“Not really,” Minho replied. He'd been mostly zoned out, watching Changbin's sleepy expressions and only caught the question as his name pulled him back to the present. “You should feel when the rap works and skin twists to put you and the people you sing about as close as possible. When it stops moving then you can speak to them.” 

“Ok.” Jisung said, pulling Hyunjin off him. “Ok. I can do that.” It sounded like a question.  
“If you do it we'll be really proud of you, Sungie. But if you don't that's ok,” Chan promised.  
“I'm doing it,” Jisung said, fuelled by Chan's doubt. “Hyunjin, hold my hand and think about our boys.” 

*** 

Minho had no idea a rap could be so emotional but Jisung's skinsinging definitely was. It washed over Minho like breaking waves, relentlessly building up again and again, a heartbroken cry for lost friends. Jeongin sat up on Chan's shoulders, claws digging into the vampire's hoodie as his ears twitched to words of love the curse hid from Minho. Suddenly the fox shifted to a boy and Joengin slipped into the chair behind Chan, clinging to the man and peering over his shoulder. 

Jisung stopped as abruptly as he had started and stared at a point in the middle of the table, breathing heavily.  
“Felix?” He asked hesitantly. “Seungmin?”  
“ _Jisung??”_ came the astounded reply, echoing around the room.  
“Yes!” Jisung cried happily. “I'm so glad I found you we were so worried,” he gushed. Hyunjin leaned forward to speak but didn't get a chance as Seungmin's voice floated from the middle of the table again.  
“Where the fuck are you?” Seungmin hissed. “You're not allowed in the Fae Realm.” 

“I'm skinsinging!” Jisung said proudly.  
“That's amazing, Sung!” Felix's deep voice was amplified by the skin.  
“Wait- how long have we been gone?” Seungmin interrupted.  
“A day,” Hyunjin supplied helpfully. “It's like,” he checked his phone, “6am on Monday morning so you have to come home now for school.” 

“Sungie learnt to skinsing in a day?” Felix asked, impressed. “I thought you needed core magic for that?”  
“You do,” Woojin said ruefully. “It's been an eventful 24 hours.” Changbin nuzzled closer to the werewolf in his sleep as Woojin's voice vibrated in his chest. Woojin patted his cheek lightly to check if he would wake but the boy was deeply asleep, not even rousing slightly at Felix's amplified voice. 

“Hyunjin-hyung fell through the ceiling and Jisung-hyung set everything on fire. Including the Xbox,” Jeongin informed the fae boys proudly throwing his friend under the bus.  
“The Xbox?” Felix whined. “Jisung whhhhy.” 

“You don't have time, Sungie,” Minho reminded them, acutely aware Jisung's spell could end at any moment.  
“Are you both safe?” Chan asked, taking over. “Can you get home ok?”  
“We’re safe.” Seungmin said and his pause made Minho's heart flip in worry. “Lix will be home soon but my dad had to bail us out earlier and I don't think he'll let me go back right now.” 

“You're not coming back?” Hyunjin asked brokenly, is lower lip wobbling. He and Seungmin must be closer than Minho had realised because Seungmin immediately noticed a tell in the pitch of Hyunjin's voice.  
“No, no! Jinnie, don't cry,” Seungmin said hurriedly. “It's stupid politics. I'll find a way to come back it just- it just might take a while.”  
“You said you'd be back in time for school,” Hyunjin accused him quietly.  
“Yeah, and I can't lie Jinnie, right?” Seungmin said brightly. “I'll be back soon, I promise.” 

“Your soon or our soon?” Jeongin asked, leaning over Chan's shoulder as if he could send his disapproving glare through the air.  
Seungmin laughed hollowly. “You're thinking like a fae, Innie.” He said teasingly but his heart wasn't in it. “Soon,” he repeated, not specifying. “As soon as I can.” 

“Minnie, I can't hold it,” Jisung called apologetically.  
“That's ok,” Seungmin said,” his voice already fading.  
“We love you!” Hyunjin called out and it startled Changbin awake as everyone joined him, yelling loudly to be heard through the shifting skin. 

“What happened?” Changbin asked hesitantly as Jisung slumped back in his chair, tears slipping down his face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a sleepy bean so I've not checked this but feel free to scream incoherently in the comments if I have emotionally traumatised you.
> 
> Wow the italics really went rouge on that one. FYI My phone now in addition to my laptop is broken so most of the time I don't even have a way to tell the time let alone post so I'll finish this story with good old pen and paper and get back to type it up and post when I can


	20. Twisting the truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm splitting this chapter since it was getting longer and longer every time I looked at it. Only Seungmin here but hey the boy deserves some screentime.
> 
> Oh and obviously it's going to switch prospective for a couple of chapters

“Father, I have information of value to you,” Seungmin said, closing the door behind him. Thin pure sheet of resin were set in the gaps between branches- some of the only windows in the Realm- and they bathed the room in orange light, a warning. Most fae liked their houses open, flowing seamlessly into the forest but Seungmin’s father had secrets and secrets weren’t secrets if they could run free.

“Go on then,” his father said, nodding for him to continue.  
“It’s not free,” Seungmin said, biting his tongue to maintain his temper. Never let them know how much you want it. That’s what his father always taught him and Seungmin was an excellent student.  
His father laughed mirthlessly. “As if you have information I don’t already know.”  
“I do,” Seungmin held his ground, clenching his shaking fists. “And I would like to sell it to you.”

“For what?” his father asked, still laughing. “A slice of cake? A nursery rhyme? A higher room? Is that what you want? You always did like to see out the windows.” He shook his head like notion baffled him.  
“No,” Seungmin said firmly, then realised his rudeness. “No, father. I would like my permanent freedom of movement.” Seungmin swallowed with difficulty, his throat dry. He was asking for the impossible, to be free of the web of truth his family had been spinning for thousands of years.

“I want to live in Truailleach,” Seungmin did his best to sound like a worthy opponent and not a petulant child but some of the desperation slipped out and coloured his words. Seungmin winced but continued his terms knowing ambiguity only brought you pain. “I want to be able to come and go from Truailleach as I like without any restrictions or conditions, for as long as I want.”

Seungmin’s father stared. It was a calculating stare, the one that earned him this much power in the first place and for the first time it was fixed on Seungmin. Seungmin felt like a deer staring down a lion and suddenly he wasn’t so sure his plan would work.

“What is your information then, child?” His father asked and there was a cruel edge to his voice, buoyed with confidence that he was in no danger of losing his pawn. “What do you think you know of value?” 

“You’ll grant my freedom as I stated it in return?” Seungmin asked. Fear burned in his chest. His father didn't seem concerned in the slightest despite having kept Seungmin tightly reined since he first stepped foot in Truailleach. Was Seungmin missing something obvious? A loophole that would chain him away from his friends forever.  
“If it is worthy,” his father replied. It was how fae deals worked. Held in trust that the other could not lie and go back on their word.

“I can break the First Curse,” Seungmin said, feeling lightheaded for a second as all the air left his lungs.  
His father gave a disappointed sigh. “That’s it? Seungmin, for a second I thought you might actually live up to your legacy.” He shook his head, already looking back to the scrolls on his desk. “That knowledge has been dancing in front of you since you were a moon-child. I expected you knew that by now.”

Seungmin’s fear condensed to anger, cold and powerful. “You didn’t hear me, father,” Seungmin said. He never did. “I didn’t say ‘ _I have the ability to_ ’, I said ‘ _I can_ break the First Curse.’”  
Seungmin’s father didn’t look up, waving him away. “Delusion. Your little witch friend doesn’t have the power to control raw magic and you’ll never find an elf willing to let a witch near their soul- we made sure of that. You’re not capable, Seungmin, nobody is.”

Seungmin smiled, pushing down the giddy feeling rising in his chest. He'd done it.  
“His soul, that's where the curse is. Thank you, father. That’s what I needed.”  
His father’s head shot up. “You didn’t know,” he laughed in delight. “By Terra and Luna my son. That was practically a lie! Is that what this Truailleach education is teaching you?” He set down his pen and looked at Seungmin with wonder. Though he was smiling it was never pride for his son, only greed as he saw potential to slip through the cracks in people's defences and rob them blind.

“Perhaps the humans do have skills,” He mused. “Hone that talent and this domain will be yours. The deals you could strike, Seungmin, the promises you could crack. You could send powerful people tumbling to the ground with skills like that.”

“I don't want it,” Seungmin said firmly. More then anything he didn't want to end up as his father. “I don't want to live here and be hated for being good with words. I want to live in Truailleadh with my friends and have them tell me the truth not because they have to but because they want to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As it's something I have literally just made up I don't expect anyone to get exactly why his father is so impressed though I'm sure you get the basis.
> 
> I'll explain it fully later on but for now just enjoy badass Seungmin talking his way to freedom


	21. Be like Chan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, sorry it's been so long. I had a deadline and then I had to write out about 3 chapters worth to make sure I didn't leave any potholes. 
> 
> Enjoy a little bit more badass Seungmin

“And your friends,” his father said, really listening now for the first time. “One of your friends is an elf?”

Seungmin ignored him. “If I were to break the curse on this elf that I know would you grant him safety in Truailleach from all that could harm him mentally or physically, intentionally or not?” 

Seungmin felt his heart pounding in his chest, making it harder to maintain his practiced indifference. There was bound to be something he'd missed, some loophole his father could slip through but he couldn't see it. It was foolish to rely on paternal instinct- every move his father made was calculated in his own favour. Seungmin could only hope he could continue to outsmart him.

“I can't just let humans into this world, Seungmin." His father's lip curled in disgust. "They have ruined their own world and they will ruin ours.”

“This is one elf, father,” Seungmin pleaded. “He is more like you and I than most others of this world. Can't I show him Truailleach? He belongs here as much as I do.”  
“He does not belong here,” Seungmin's father said harshly. “His ancestors lost him that right when they taught the humans to invade.”

Seungmin sighed. Growing up, humans were always painted as selfish creatures, driven by greed. His parents and the other elders still believed it and not crossing the skin hardened their belief. But Seungmin had gone to Truailleach and met Chan, the most selfless person Seungmin had ever met, human or fae. 

Chan had spoken to him in Fae immediately and opened his home to allow Seungmin to go to school. And he'd done the same for everyone that had come after Seungmin too, even as the house grew crowded and money stretched thin. For Hyunjin and Woojin and Felix and now Minho. Seungmin wanted to be like Chan some day, not his father, and Chan would never shut someone out.

“He deserves to see his motherland, father, and I will bring him if he wants it with or without your approval.” Seungmin said bravely. Or perhaps foolishly considering his father was one of the most powerful people in the world.  
“You would do well not to anger me, Child,” the words dripped slowly off his father's tongue.  
“You would do well not to underestimate me again,” Seungmin shot back before he could stop himself. So much for indifference. "The Gates benefit everyone and I could easily gather support from the younger fae in favour of open migration in both directions."  
His father's eyes narrowed.  
"But I won't," Seungmin continued, smirking, "if you let Minho-hyung visit."

Seungmin's father, despite being a slippery, self-centred fae, was honest and knew when he was beaten.  
“Can I at least speak to this boy before I use up my favours granting him entry?” He sighed in defeat. “I will have many influential people against me if I pitch this wrong.”  
_That sounds like a you problem,_ Seungmin’s brain automatically retorted, sounding an awful lot like Jeongin but he ignored it in favour of an illusion of diplomacy.  
“I thought you might say that,” Seungmin said smugly. “Jisung should call me soon.”  
“Jisung?” His father frowned. “Who is that?”  
“My ‘little witch friend’,” Seungmin smirked.  
“Your witch friend can skinsing?” Seungmin’s father’s eyes widened in astonishment and a scroll by his sleeve rolled unnoticed off the desk, bouncing hollowly on the polished wooden floor. “I had no idea he was so powerful,” he muttered to himself. “I may have to start paying my informants more…”

“I’m sure they’re doing their best,” Seungmin said dryly, cutting off his father’s ramblings. He was annoyed but not surprised to hear his father had him watched. “Sungie only learnt to skinsing today. He was worried about my safety,” Seungmin added pointedly.  
“You’re perfectly safe,” his father retorted.  
“I didn’t come home and I’m missing school- they have good reason to worry.” Again Seungmin was toeing the line with lies, the words heavy and unwieldy on his tongue. Technically, he hadn’t missed any school yet and he was still keeping his promise to Hyunjin.

“Humans,” Seungmin’s father said like the word left a bad taste in his mouth. “They live life so dependently.”  
Seungmin’s blood boiled hearing again how inferior his father thought his friends were. But before he could begin a rant on love and compassion a phantom voice interrupted.  
“Eh, Minnie?”

Seungmin’s anger melted. “Hi, Sungie. Thanks for calling back.”  
“No problem,” Jisung replied automatically. “ _Actually,_ it was a problem. You know this is really hard, right? I have to keep freestyle rapping about how much I miss you."  
"Sungie, the time pressure," Minho's faint voice cut into Jisung's rant. 

"So this is you witch friend?" Seungmin's father asked with an amused smile.  
"Yes, that's Jisung. And Minho, the elf,"  
"Ah, the elf!" Seungmin's father exclaimed. "Just who I wanted to talk to."  
"Yes, sir?" Minho said timidly.

"My son tells me he would like to break your curse so you can visit Truailleach. Why should I let him?"  
Seungmin rolled his eyes. Of course his father would phrase it that way.  
"Seungmin can do that?" Jisung asked, doubt colouring his voice even through the unsteady connection.  
"I can now," Seungmin said, adding _theoretically_ in his head.

"You don't have to!" Minho said hurriedly. "I'm fine. I'd rather Seungmin could come home."  
"No need to be selfless, Seungmin has already won that bargain himself," Seungmin's father admitted.  
A distant cheer erupted from Jisung's side of the skin and Seungmin could faintly hear "FUCK YEAH!" from Changbin.

"I'm asking, Minho, why you would like to have your curse broken and visit Truailleach," Seungmin's father pressed, ignoring the commotion.  
"Uh, I would like to speak to Felix and Seungmin in their own language," Minho said but it sounded like a question. "Right now all I hear is water when they speak."

"That is a good answer," Seungmin's father hummed. "But I don't think that's your full truth."  
"Oh," Minho said quietly. Seungmin wanted desperately to tell him it was alright, that he could come anyway but he knew it was a test. His father didn't trust elves and he never would unless he learnt their perspective.

"I would like to see the Fae Realm," Minho said strongly after a moment to think. "True-Trueilly-?"  
"Truailleach," Felix whispered.  
"Truailleach," Minho repeated. "My grandparents always talked about how beautiful it was and how the trees would listen to your stories and now to let you climb them. I've always wanted to to know what that was like."

"It is true that no forest in A'Choille can match the beauty of Truailleach," Seungmin's father said with pride and Seungmin could sense him softening to the idea of an elf visiting, even if it was only to boast the superiority of their world. "Very well-"  
"Sorry!" Jisung cut him off. "Bad connection- we've got to go. See you soon, Min!" 

"Bye, Sungie!!" Seungmin yelled back, barely holding in his giggles.  
His father looked unimpressed. "You had better return to A'Choille, I suppose," he said reluctantly. "Study well."  
"I will. Thanks, Dad," Seungmin giggled. "I'll see you later."  
His father made a face at the drop in respectfulness but said nothing.  
"It won't be so easy for you next time!" he called teasingly as Seungmin skipped out the door. "I'll be ready!"  
"Sure, Dad!" Seungmin called back, running down the stairs to freedom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My boy is going hoooome
> 
> I think there's 3 chapters max left as I wrap this up but the next one might even be out tomorrow


	22. I love you?

Seungmin ran through the Gate, ignoring the warning from the trees of the slow light from that side. Going through the skin always made him queasy as the magic buzzed through his cells, holding his body together for the jump.

His momentum carried him into Woojin's arms and the older man protected Seungmin's head automatically as he stumbled back.  
"Hiya, hotshot," Woojin said stabilising them both and returning Seungmin's tight hug. "You really had us worried for a while there."  
"Sorry," Seungmin mumbled into his hoodie.  
Woojin kissed his crown and gently pushed the young fae away to meet his eyes. "What are you apologising for? That was out of your control."

Before Seungmin could apologise again he was tackled in a hug from Jisung.  
"You can break curses?" The young witch said excitedly, his wide eyes a little too close to Seungmin's face.  
"You can skinsing?" Seungmin shot back, grinning as he held his friend tight.

They were blocking the Gate but Seungmin didn't care as his family enveloped him in hug after hug without giving him a second to breathe.  
"I can't believe you got your dad to let you come back _and_ let Minho in," Felix said, the last to hug him considering they'd been apart less than an hour.  
"Ah, I used a future conditional truth," Seungmin shrugged, letting Hyunjin wrap around his arm.

"To bargain with your dad?!" Felix yelled a little too loudly. _"How?"_  
"Either of you care to explain to the rest of us?" Chan said, finally herding them off to one side to let other fae pass.  
"Seungmin lied to his dad," Felix said quickly.

"It's not a lie," Seungmin protested.  
"Against your dad? That was a lie," Felix said firmly.  
"Explain, hyungs," Jeongin cut in.

"It's a truth that only becomes true as a result of its telling," Seungmin said, not really wanting to get into this now. "You can't normally use it in bargaining because the other person won't comply to the conditions and knowing that prevents your telling of it."  
"Telling the truth is really complicated," Changbin whined.

"I can show you," Felix said. "Changbin-hyung will say he loves me now," he turned to Changbin expectantly.  
"I love you?" Changbin said, still confused.  
A smile lit Felix's face. "Thanks babe, I love you too."  
"So what did you do, Minnie?" Chan asked, leading them slowly back to the shop. It was only a couple of streets away.

Seungmin glanced around the bustling streets, not wanting to accidentally lose his trump card to an eavesdropping fae. It was always better to be vague anyway.  
"I told him I knew how to do that thing with Minho even though I didn't, knowing he would brag about how impossible it would be to pull off."  
"And nobody has ever done that to an elder before," Felix added. "How do you even think that's possible to pull it off. No wonder he let you free. You'd ruin the economy."

"Ok, note to self- don't piss of Seungminnie," Changbin joked and Seungmin turned to stick his tongue out at him. Chan hooked a finger into Seungmin's belt loop and pulled him to one side before he could bowl over a huddle of elementary kids. 

Seungmin gasped as he spotted them, bowing slightly in apology. "What time is it? He asked frantically, turning to Chan. 'Are we late for school?"  
"Unbelievable, Hyung," Jeongin complained. "All that and you still want to go to school."  
"We have a quiz!" Seungmin protested. "It's important."  
"Woojinnnnie-hyung already called to say we have a family emergency," Hyunjin told him. "We'll be allowed to make it up tomorrow."  
Seungmin's eyebrows furrowed and his lower lip jutted out in a pout .

"Or we just show up a little late for first period," Hyunjin sighed, powerless against that face. "I don't know how I'll stay awake through maths without coffee though."  
Seungmin beamed and pulled Hyunjin along faster. "Innnnnnie," he called.  
"No," Jeongin shot him down. "I'm going back to bed."  
"I'll give you wonderglion juice," Seungmin tempted him.  
"You'll give me wonderglion juice anyway," Jeongin scoffed, moving behind Minho and out of Seungmin's reach.  
"Maybe I'll give it all to Minho," Seungmin sulked.  
Jeongin peeked out worriedly from behind Minho but Seungmin was ignoring him.  
"Don't worry, Innie. I'll share," Minho promised.

Jeongin did end up going to school after a questionable energy boost from Jisung. He might have only put static in his hair but if so the placebo was enough to recharge the younger boy. That or the giant strawberry Seungmin had taken out of his woven backpack to silence Jeongin's whines.

They left in a whirlwind and it was only when the chaos stopped that Minho realised his phone was sitting blinking on the table. Numbly he picked it up and opened the messages he knew he didn't want to read.  
"What's up?" Jisung asked cheerfully, offering him a glass of bright purple liquid. Minho shook his head distractedly as he scrolled further through the messages.  
"I lost my job," he said eventually, hearing his own voice like it was someone else speaking.  
"They fired you?" Jisung asked quietly, setting down the glasses and sliding into the seat next to him. "Just because of this morning?"

"No, I'm not fired," Minho handed over his phone for Jisung to see the messages. "I'm just not on the team for this job anymore which is a dick move becau-." Minho bit his lip and took a calming breath before he ended up in a full-blown rant. "There's always people desperate for a job, they'll do fine without me."

"We'll hire you," Jisung said confidently. "Right, Chan-hyung?" He yelled.  
"What?" Chan asked, coming into the room with an armful of what looked like seaweed, and not the edible kind. He looked around in indecision before dumping the slippery mess on the table. "What were you asking?"  
"We'll hire Minho-hyung, right?"  
"Why- oh god your job?" Chan's face morphed into horror. "I'm so sorry. Where do you work? I can try and get you it back."  
Minho waved him off. "Don't worry about. I've got enough saved for rent until the next job comes around."

That was a lie but thankfully Minho still had the curse to keep his pride. He had been relying on his next paycheck to see him through, having just bought new trainers that cost more than he could sensibly afford.

"Are you sure, Minho?" Chan pressed. "We owe you so much. I can ask around if anyone needs an extra pair of hands? Unless you do ballet? I know a ballerina that's always looking for more men."  
"Chan knows lots of people," Jisung added proudly, slurping on his purple drink.  
"I don't do ballet," Minho said and he almost stopped there but the threat of eviction was too real. "I could probably manage though, if she's desperate," he added. "I've done lifts before."  
Chan grinned. "That's perfect! Mina's going to love you- I'll go call her now."

Chan wandered off, muttering to himself.  
Jisung leaned forward and gingerly plucked a battered phone from the soggy mass of seaweed and moved it out of reach of the expanding puddle of water.  
"He's really got to stop multitasking."  
"Aren't you going to tell him where his phone is?" Minho asked as Chan darted back through the room towards the shop again.  
"No," Jisung grinned mischievously. "He'll never learn if I do."

"Have you seen Channie's phone?" Woojin appeared a few minutes later at the top of the stairs to ask. Minho wordlessly handed it over and Woojin rolled his eyes as he wiped out on his jeans.  
"Did he leave the seaweed too?"  
"Yeah, what's it for?" Jisung asked, poking at an air bubble.  
"Dinner," Woojin said.

Minho wrinkled his nose. That did not look appetising in the slightest.  
"Ew, no!" Jisung protested. "I want takeout."  
"Not your dinner, idiot," Woojin said, scooping the seaweed off the table, and cringing as it soaked the front of his shirt. "Channie is trying to come off blood again." He headed for the kitchen and, from the sound of it, launched the seaweed into the sink from the doorway. "I need to go buy a new fridge and Binnie is fixing the floor so you're running the shop today Sungie. Drink up and open on time," Woojin instructed as he headed back downstairs.

"You coming with?" Jisung asked, standing and downing his drink.  
"Only since I've got nowhere else to be," Minho said teasingly.  
Jisung stuck out his tongue, his eyes sparkling with joy. "Just you try and leave, I'll break your ankles again." He picked up the full glass and handed it to Minho. "Don't forget your wonderglion juice, it's not easy to get."

Minho took a tentative sip of the bright drink before he headed down the stairs. Flavours lit up his taste buds and he found himself gulping down more without realising. "Woah," he said, pulling back to admire the magical liquid. "What's in this?"  
"Wonderglions!" Jisung called from the bottom of the stairs. "Hurry up, I want to show you my potions."  
Minho quickly took another sip and hurried after Jisung. There really wasn't a dull moment in this house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering future conditional truth is an entirely made up term. I'm sorry if the explanation didn't make sense. Let me know and I can try and rewrite it.
> 
> Basically that's what made Seungmin's dad let him go, not that he could break the curse but that he could practically lie to get the information he wanted. And in a society where your currency is words, a lying is the most valuable skill. Let me know if you want a better explanation.
> 
> Anyway, only the epilogue left. This has been a brilliant story to write and I definitely want to stay in this world so if anyone has a request of who's a they want next let me know. I could do everyone's 'adoption' or move forward to the next installment or even a fun little one-shot of you have a pairing romantic or platonic you want to see. I won't take specific plot requests though so I can build more plots into the world


	23. You're adopted

Minho's first day at his new job was the very next day. Mina had been very eager to meet him but three steps into her primary evaluation she stopped him.  
"There's something wrong with your ankle."  
"Han Jisung," Minho growled under his breathe and followed Mina to sit on a bench.  
"Do you know what might have caused it?" Mina asked, holding her hands out in a silent question to scan with her magic.  
Minho nodded his permission. "I hurt my ankle at the weekend and Jisung tried to heal it. It went wrong before it went right."

Mina gasped as she saw his handprint scars. "Is this.."  
"Yeah, Sungie found his core as he was healing me."  
"Oh you poor boys," Mina murmured and Minho felt a faint tingling as she effortlessly corrected Jisung's mistakes. "How's little Sungie doing?"  
"He's ok now," Minho smiled. "Hasn't blown anything up in a good few hours."  
Mina shook her head and helped Minho back to his feet. "Channie really should have asked for help. Even if we're busy we've always got time to help family. Finding your core is a huge event in a witch's life."

Seeing Minho's curious gaze, Mina continued. "I sneezed and caused an earthquake- I have movement-based magic." Without warning she stepped up into an elegant turn and flower petals materialised from the point of her free foot and trailed softly to the ground.  
Minho knew he was a good dancer but he would never have that level of control. Perhaps it was the magic.

"Sungie is emotion-based," he found himself saying. It was stupid- Mina had clearly known Jisung far longer than he had, who was he to pretend to know him.  
"I taught him to skinsing on his first day."  
Mina blinked, lost for words. "Sometimes I think Channie's trying to take over the world with the strays he picks up," she said eventually. "You're all just kids but you're so powerful."

Minho wanted to point out he wasn't a stray or a kid for that matter but he figured it was best not to contradict his new boss when she has the ability to break every bone in his body with a single touch.

***

"How was work?" Felix asked excitedly as Minho stumbled into the shop just after closing.  
"Everything hurts," Minho slumped at the giant table. "I'm really not flexible enough for this shit."  
Felix fluttered over and dug his fingers into the tight muscles of Minho's shoulders. Minho groaned and melted into the table. "Are you an angel?" He mumbled into the wood, letting his eyes flutter closed.  
"I'm a pixie, actually," Felix said. "The wings do confuse people though."  
"You better not be showing the public your wings, Lix" Minho said.  
"I'm not," Felix assured him and Minho drifted off to dreams of Felix doing loop-the-loops for a crowd of awed children.

"Minho-hyung!" someone yelled right in his ear, startling him awake.  
"Ah!" Minho jumped in surprise and only Felix's steadying hands stopped him falling. Jisung grinned proudly.  
"You!" Minho pointed at him accusingly. "Mina-noona said you healed my ankle wrong again."  
Jisung's smiled dropped and Minho immediately regretted his words. He hurriedly turned to cover Jisung's hurt. "She fixed it though and she's really impressed you controlled your core so quickly. She said to go to her if you need any help."

Minho caught a flicker of uncertainty in Jisung's eyes before his smile was back in full force. "Are you going to show us some ballet then?" Jisung asked.  
"I've been throwing 9 year old girls across the room from the last two hours, I don't even want to stand up." Minho lamented.  
"That's a shame, there are strawberries upstairs," Jisung teased.  
"I suddenly have energy," Minho said and playfully pushed Jisung into the table to reach the stairs first. Felix bested both of them, taking a flying leap over their heads.

***

Minho told himself he kept coming back to 3RACHA after work for a number of reasons. 

He didn't know the bus route straight to his flat yet.

Changbin needed help with the floor. 

Seungmin wanted to test a theory he had about the curse.

He had a message to pass on to Chan. 

But none of those reasons explained why he inevitably stayed for dinner and crawled into bed with whoever grabbed him first when it was time to go to sleep. Or why Jeongin now waited for Minho to help with his maths homework and Hyunjin added Minho's laundry to his without asking.

"Terra's breath, I've been adopted." Minho whispered into the darkness on the fourth night.  
Changbin snorted from the other side of the room. "You've only just noticed?"  
"I'm a grown adult- I don't need to be adopted." Minho said crossly defending his independence.  
"That hasn't stopped Chan-hyung before," Jisung pointed out and nuzzled into Minho's t-shirt. Or rather, Chan's t-shirt that Minho was wearing. The action cooled Minho's frustration but his mind still strolled back down his memories, pointing out how little he had actually been alone.

"I've not been back to my flat in three days," Minho thought aloud, suddenly realising just how ingrained they were in his life. "I should go back."

Warm tendrils of Jisung's magic wrapped around Minho's limbs and pinning him to the bed.  
"No," Jisung said firmly, slinging a leg over Minho's hip for good measure. "You're adopted. You can't leave now."  
"I'm not leaving," Minho soothed him, patting the witch's head in a way he knew would calm him. "You can let go, I'm going anywhere."

Jisung's magic slowly retreated, letting him move again and Minho pulled the younger boy closer to fight the goosebumps on his skin. The magic warmth never left his chest though, pressing down on his ribs.  
"Sungie, let me go," Minho growled lowly in Jisung's ear, not wanting to disturb Changbin's rest any longer with their antics.  
*I'm not doing anything," Jisung whined quietly, pressing his hand against Minho's cheek without the familiar warm tingle he could still feel on his chest. "See, no magic."

Minho glanced down to see the faint outline of Jisung frowning cutely at him, chin stabbing into Minho's ribs. "You're definitely doing something," Minho whispered, pulling Jisung's arm across his waist and entangling their legs. "But this time it might not be magic."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm done 😊 please let me know how you found it and if you have preferences for what's next


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